Time
by rebelsavant
Summary: Change the past and erase the future. The universe is a dark place. Little did Shepard know, through her actions that she created an anomaly. Fall prey to the Directive. Save the past to secure the future. AU,Major OC/Mass characters/T-language,dark themes,suggestive in future chaps/Welcome Readers/reviewers!
1. Reaper

_Hope all enjoy. I do appreciate **reviews**, so feel free to tell me **what you think **of the story so far, any **healthy critiquing**. **Guest** and **members** **very welcome**. :D  
_

**_Disclaimer:As usual I own nothing except my own creations and characters. Bioware owns it all..sadly._**

_ Rejection ending. **AU in its entirety**, paragade past femshep..._

_To update this stories unique chapters: this chapter and the second are beginning in the past of the OC's future. It's more of a large memory flashback to introduce the differing personalities compared to the past characters she meets again. So so so so so sorry if that is confusing. I'm hoping dear readers if you could ever so kindly keep an open mind to the hybrid space magic story I have begun. Again..I'm open to comments. And to those that have left reviews anonymously,.. spoilers. ;)_

* * *

(Prologue)

Twenty one years ago, the Reapers came. They destroyed everything and everyone. A lone soldier fought against them,..shepard. She brought the military forces of the galaxy together in a last effort for victory. In the end she failed. She knew her mind would never heal by succumbing to indoctrination. Only one true choice remained amongst the lies of the star child. Shepard invented her own solution, R_ejection_, knowing full well everyone would die, even those she held dear. The thought of being enslaved, drove her to this._ "If I die, I'll die free."_

Little did Shepard know, through her actions prior, she created an anomaly. And Harbinger,...had other plans.

The refugees of the chaotic phenomenon codenamed : CRISIS, struggle to survive the aftermath of the grim event that unfolded a massive blow to the galaxy. Earth followed by Palaven and Thessia, were all destroyed by singular massive black holes. Each one with such correct precision, that it gave pause to the reapers harvest. The remnants of human, turian and asari life struggle to gain a foothold within their new dark galaxy.

* * *

_On the far side of the Attican Traverse..._

"JORMUN!"

Ship alarms blared loudly throughout Haven.

Satima slid across the grated floor to hit the back of her pilot chair. She jumped around landing firmly in the seat. Holo controls appeared giving her range and weapons lock on the Ravager. A unique fighter vessel that can FTL in deep space faster than any warship known.

Named the Ravager, it resembled the Rachni reaper abominations during the wars twenty-one years ago. It had locked onto Havens trajectory path. She knew it would be a risk to visit Borlask but she needed those new ident chips.

"I'm getting a signal from the mountain range. It's Borlask!",Jormun yelled down the short hallway from the engine room.

Satima smirked,"Good! About damn time! Jormun, eliminate this monster!"

Jormun ran back from the engine room to the cannon panel. It was behind the cockpit in view of Satima. He brought up the grid and locked on to the ravager. EMP blows hit the Ravager as it lost it's Nav abilities flying blind right into a communication dish. With a large **"BOOM"** it exploded.

"Looks like I owe Borlask a new one.", she laughed.

They passed the atmosphere of the planet Lorek and landed on the permafrost covered mountain. She hated the cold since she was a child. For some odd reason it affected her more than other humans she had known. The dangerous weather provided cover from surface and range scans for them. Satima and Jormun stepped down the ramp of the cargo bay away from their previous warm environment. Her gear worn tightly due to the freezing temperature.

A door cut perfectly in the side of the glacier rock had slid open. Harsh light poured out on the ground. Borlask was a batarian. One of very few left in the galaxy. He wore yellow and black armor with his helmets visor glazed in a effervescent silver. Satima had known him since she was sixteen. Horrible year.

"Satima! You blew up more of my communicators! I don't put them out there for you to play with!", Borlask struggled against the snow shouting in his deep voice.

Satima could tell he had all eyes on her with a nasty glare through his visor. She smirked as he struggled further to reach her.

"How else was I supposed to get away." Satima said sarcastically pushing past him.

Jormun followed behind her. Borlask grunted with disapproval. He hated the Quarians. Ever since they quarantined their systems and planets off the galactic grid, more and more refugees came to him. Batarians were not known before for their humane treatment and sympathetic views, but Borlask has seen enough suffering on all sides. Quarians were cowards in his eyes and the fact Satima was with one, boiled his blood.

They all went inside the hidden compound. Borlask did his usual growl at Jormun.

"Remember to keep your filthy hands off my stuff.",Borlask leaned in close to Jormuns helmeted face.

"And off Satima.",he growled louder.

Jormun ignored him and sat down at a table in the compounds mess hall,warming himself under one of the various heating vents. He took Ish, his favorite shotgun out and sat the weapon on his lap clicking a mod in skillfully. Jormun wished Borlask could see his one-sided smile.

Borlask left Jormun alone, he had more important matters to deal with. He watched Satima chat quickly with a few human refugees. She cared deeply, not always showing it to better intimidate the mercs. Borlask had known her for a long time. He gave her advice, weapons and an old ship.

The great mess hall had a high vaulted metal ceiling with four large heating vents dividing the room. Great square windows for the little bit of light that did peer through the storm clouds. Rows of mess tables and chairs filled the area. Many different species ate and congregated together.

Borlask used this jewel in the system to house those that are fleeing Myriad, a Cerberus incarnate corporation. Leaving destruction in their wake, it became too hard for the poorer factions to rebuild after the Reapers.

"Hey Borlask, you ever worry about the buildup of ice caps changing positions on you?, she stared folding her arms.

Borlask laughed dismissively,"My people proved it was a false environmental reading. Damn asari!" He mumbled taking off his helmet. All of his black eyes staring around him.

"Until you wake up a frozen popsicle buried under miles of ice", she glanced chuckling his way.

Borlask laughed loudly. After a moment his laugh died down. He turned slowly facing the ground then back to her. It seemed like odd behavior.

"Satima, can you forgive me?", Borlask often gave no emotional hints but this time his eye was twitching.

Satima clicked her comms to private between her and Jormun while she spoke to Borlask.

"For what? You gave me a chance when no one would offer a hand to help. I owe everything to you. You're my friend.", she smiled warmly to him.

Jormun scoffed at the word _friend_ but choose not to impede. He uneasily leaned of his chair, watching the pair talk about past times together.

Satima put her hand on his shoulder in concern. This was a strange conversation Borlask choose to bring up. Is he OK? Did something happen while she toured the galaxy and shot up bars.

"What's wrong Borlask? You can tell me old friend. Is it money?",Satima spoke softly.

Not her usual impetuous tone and manner.

"Creds are easy to come by with_ them_.", he pointed to a few refugees.

"Besides, you travel too much. I figured maybe you could hang here a while. Talk to old Borlask, tell me about one of your _"tours"_.,Borlask started to sweat but kept laughing nervously.

Jormun sat on edge, his shotgun gripped tight. He didn't like Borlask's tone of voice or edgy demeanor. Something was definitely wrong here. Satima looked at him puzzled then glanced at Jormun quickly. Satima reached down her boot slowly for a small hand blade. Borlask pulled a pistol from his belt.

"I'm sorry Satima. You have to understand, this is for the safety of the refugees. Besides if I know you like I do, you can escape it. I believe you can.", he pointed the pistol shaking. Borlask felt horrible for what he'd done. He was given no choice.

Satima heard loud footsteps behind her. Jormun whispered to her over the comms.

"..reaper...",his voice breaking up in fear.

An armored hand rested on her shoulder. "Satima Naramis...you are in violation of the Directive. You will come with me."

The Directive. Her worst nightmare come back for more. Jormun targeted his shotgun.

"Don't move! Back away from her now!",he roared in his accented tone.

Satima held her blade seconds ago, ready to strike but Reaper knew her intentions too well. Quickly,Reaper grabbed Satima and turned them around holding Satima's blade firmly against her throat. A small trickle of blood danced down her skin. Several dread soldiers surrounded him. Jormun put Ish to his side. He wouldn't risk Satima getting hurt.

Satima threateningly stared at Borlask as she was let loose and cuffed.

"You're a damn coward.", she glared.

Borlask sat back down and watched as Reaper dragged Satima out of his compound. Ancestors he felt like scum leaving her alone to the HIVE but what could he do?

"It was for the good of the refugees Satima.",he spoke to himself in denial of his own actions, while covering his face with his tanned hands.

* * *

**H.I.V.E**

Hierarchy of the Integrated Viral Elite.

Location:Sol System, Earths Void Orbit,

Satima woke in a cell, she shot up from her cot dizzy. That blow to the head really hurt!

"Jormun? Are you alive?", she whispered searching for him in the darkness.

There was no one else in the blackness with her. Alone again at the hands of HIVE. She is not the same scared and helpless little girl anymore, she would die first. The cell door opened, a blue glow piercing her cells darkness. Someone threw a body in. It was Jormun! Satima ran to him. He lay on the ground motionless.

"Jormun! Oh my God!", she held up his head and did a quick scan with her onmi-tool. His vitals were good. No puncture wounds, no infection. Just a knock out. Satima held his head in her lap. She sat there waiting for them to return. It was only a matter of time. Reaper would probably be the one to drag her back to the room. Pain, punishment and torture. She shuddered at the memories. Resolved to not let that happen, Satima laid Jormun against the cot and stood at the side of the door. Ready..for anything.

An hour passed by. Jormun was coming to. He held his head in stunned pain. Satima watched him but snapped her head to the door quickly when a sound was heard. She cracked her knuckles, stretched her back in preparation. Any minute now. Suddenly the door opened again and Satima got caught under the next body they threw in. It was big and heavy. They both landed hard. Jormun fully aware of his surroundings ran to Satima, helping her up. She looked down to see the armored prisoner, which would explain the heavy part.

"Are you ok?",Jormun checked her for injuries.

Satima hastily pushed him off. She knelt down to the new cellmate. Her eyes adjusted enough that she could make out the outline of a turian. Interesting considering they all left the terminus systems, all save a few. This turian male started to grunt. He made the inclination to rise. Satima and Jormun backed away enough so they could blend in with the shadows. He stood, taller than her and Jormun, overbearingly scary in his darkened armor.

"I can see you." His voice was deep with a strange sub-vocal sound.

He shook his head from a similar knock out. Satima smirked to herself. She stepped out despite Jormuns behest. The turian walked around the room, checking the walls and the door.

"You're a turian? I thought your kind left this side of the terminus systems years ago?", she stood in front of him.

"I'm here on a personal mission.",he said occupied with the door.

Satima shook her head,"In this place? The Hive is inescapable. You'd never make it out alive.",she stated proud of her intelligence.

The turian stranger went back to the door. After a few seconds of him typing on his omni-tool, it opened.

"You were saying?", he said mockingly.

Before Satima asked she looked at the holo panel. A very complex encryption code had been used. It seemed custom and probably took a long time to create.

"How did you do that?", Satima followed him, gesturing Jormun to come along.

"I had a long time to learn.", he said checking a long hallway.

Satima was impressed by his genius ability of tech knowledge. Jormun felt inadequate. Quarians are naturally capable with all tech but he guessed he was the exception. At least in Satima's eyes for all he knew.

The turian quietly mumbled something, he looked at Satima and the quarian. He turned to face her and watched her fingers for a brief second then stopped himself.

"Listen kid. I don't need a tag-a-long, let alone two. Why don't you and your boyfriend escape down the other hall."

Satima's mouth dropped. She rubbed her left temple chuckling to herself in irritation.

"I guess you seem to know everything? Even where the Reaper's quarters are? Considering I was held here against my will for years, I think I would know a lot more than you.", she smirked angrily.

Jormun chuckled quietly. The turian's once sure gaze turned to annoyance. He paced like a trained soldier in front of them. His gait dragging a little but not enough to slow him down.

"What are you a general or something?", Satima said rudely.

He stopped, noticing his brood like pacing.

"I was never a general but I was an officer once.", he said reflecting.

Satima eyed Jormun. She shook her head,"You are wearing merc armor.",she pointed out.

"So I am.",he mused.

Satima sighed in annoyance.

The turian walked a little closer to her,"I need your help."

Satima blinked her eyes in confusion. "Really?"

The turian merc never took off his helmet. Satima doesn't like not being able to read expressions. He stood against the wall crossing his arms.

"Plans change. So, I need your help. Understood?", he said in a rough tone.

Satima looked at Jormun. Jormun shook his head _no_. She rolled her eyes at him as he tried to stop her from approaching the turian merc.

"What's in it for us?",she cocked her eye folding her arms.

Jormun stepped up,"No Satima. We need to get out of here now!"

She waved him off not facing him. This annoyed Jormun, it's not like Satima to treat him as a subordinate.

The turian smirked, "Do you have a reputation for this kind of thing? If you do, then I trust you and in return..." He held out a cred chip worth half a million. "In return I'll give you everything I own."

She couldn't believe her eyes. Half a million creds! She licked her lips at it. So much money, the biggest payday of her life. She looked at Jormun. He nodded no. Satima sighed loudly but hesitated at swiping the cred chit.

"Wait...what exactly are you doing here?",she questioned him intensely.

"I'm here to kill the Reaper. Have a problem with it?",he asked threateningly.

Satima shook her head with a small laugh,"No..in fact..that sounds like a very good plan."

At the underbelly of the HIVE, Satima led the weaponless group to the antechambers of Reaper. The whole place lived up to its name. A honeycombed station filled with dread soldiers and nano-sentinels. Literally painted in darkness, dim blue illuminators lit most of the way. Alcoves every few feet that seemed to go nowhere gave plenty of anxious thoughts to Jormun. He agreed to watch the back, with the turian merc right behind Satima.

All it took was one false step..Jormun erased the thoughts from his head. Satima was the stronger one and only because she grew up in this horrid place. They stopped in front of a large metal door. Though most stations have the basic tech in their doors, this one was tricky. It had two panels to work from. It could be hours before they hack it.

"Hey, turian bad ass! You think you can apply those same skills to this panel, while I hack the other?",Satima put her hands on her hips smiling wickedly.

"You think you can keep up with me?",he smirked taking the other panel.

Jormun stood watch. He wanted to punch that turian for being so..great with everything. Jormun could be a bad ass too! He just needed his shotgun. Satima laughed to herself as she raced to unlock the code before the turian merc. He effortlessly encrypted a virus that could disable a warship. Within a minute the lock was hacked.

"Looks like I win.", he clicked his mandibles under his helmet satisfied.

Satima banged the panel till it broke and sparked outward in a silent rage fit.

"Yeah I guess you did.", she scowled at him.

The door opened. Jormun gasped at what they saw. The Reaper stood on the other side along with dread soldiers.

"Predictable.",Reaper spoke unamused.

* * *

Satima watched a soldier beat the turian merc. He laughed at the attempt.

_You hit like a girl _and_ is that all you can do?_

Inside she wanted to tell him to shut the hell up. It's his life, let him die if he wishes it. Jormun had two soldiers on him. Reaper didn't order them to hurt him but it made Satima nervous.

The turian merc spat blue blood with a snarl,"To afraid to do this yourself?", his low tone menacing. He also sounded a bit hurt but didn't show it.

"I can do what is necessary,..if I must.",she always had a soulless stare. Reaper stepped up to him and kicked his side.

Satima was pretty sure that broke a few ribs. He wheezed but never backed down from his damn talking.

"I..didn't feel that! Might wanna try harder!", he spoke loudly trying not to cough.

Reaper stared at the merc lost in thought. Her blood red hair vibrant under the small light over them. Her armor flexed with the vibration of a million black beetles endlessly in motion. Nano tech. Stolen from the Ancients and generously applied to every soldier and minion the Prophet of Eternity could create. There was a set like that for Satima once. She could still feel the tiny pricks under her skin as her mind and the suit became one. That day was the very day she escaped. She never looked back.

Reaper hit the merc again. Time was running out.

Satima needed a few more seconds. Her cuffs were almost off. She used the time the turian merc wasted to hack them. She and Jormun would escape, too bad for the merc but that was business. His fault for being an idiot. Reaper looked at Satima. The turian merc spoke again.

"Weak bitch.", he glared at her.

This made Reaper angry, she started to kick him again, but he brought his arms around and caught her leg mid-air.

Satima gasped in surprise.

He smiled as he twisted Reaper's leg hard. It made her fall to the side. Satima finished with the cuffs. She stood turning to the two soldiers. One charged at her, she grabbed his shotgun yanking him to her hard. Satima head butted him, kicked his groin then turned him around facing Jormun. In an instant she snapped his neck. The other stepped back surprised. Satima looked at the shotgun.

"Jormun, I found Ish.",she smiled.

Satima threw Ish to Jormun who happily killed the dread soldier.

She heard grunting and hitting. Behind her they were still fighting. Reaper left-hooked him but the turian took it well. He knocked her down again, kicking her side repeatedly. That's when the alarms came on.

"Nano-Sentinels!", Jormun yelled.

No way Satima can take those things.

"We're leaving!", she grabbed Jormun running.

They passed by the turiran who almost took satisfaction in his anger towards Reaper. A nano-sentinel approached quickly. It's grey covered body armor glowing with an orange sheen. That type of new shielding is almost impenetrable. A large helmet covered the face. Satima had always imagined a grotesque alien under there. True to it's name, it stood seven inches tall. An armored monster. The nano-sentinel threw a serrated blade, its length of a small child. The merc dodged the attack barely, roaring his own frustration at being hindered from the kill.

"Come on! We don't have time!", Jormun shouted to her as she watched.

Satima made a aggravated tone. Why does she care? She yelled at the turian merc,"You can kill her another day!"

The turian stood there confused at her words. He turned around to face Satima. The nano-sentinel got closer. He looked down to Reaper who had already crawled back to regroup. Dread soldiers were piling out from alcoves behind them. She leaned on one, clutching her side breathing heavily. The turian merc glanced away back to Satima.

"I'm coming.",he said defeated.

They ran to the docking bay dodging bullets and laser fire attacks. A ravager hovered in the hanger. Satima sprinted across the floor, knocking her body onto the side, as the turian merc effortlessly put a bullet through a dread soldiers head. Jormun suppressed fire as she ripped a panel off the ravagers hatch. The turian merc noticed her unusual strength and the ferocity of her nails. They almost resembled small claws. Satima programmed the ravager, it had just enough room for them all. Jormun hopped in with Satima in tow. The turian merc climbed in last, he stood behind Satima watching her apply her tech skills to the fighters control panels.

"You know how to fly these things?",he spoke condescendingly to her.

"Shut up!", she said dismissing his tone.

They flew out, dodging other ravagers sent after them. Using one of Jupiter's many moons as cover, Satima evaded the wave of fighters and took them to the Haven. Relaying back to the Attican, she used her omni-tool to contact the ships VI system. The hanger bay opened with Satima boarding her ship. Jormun ran to warm up the engine. Satima walked out quickly to the cockpit. The turian merc followed close behind.

"This is your ship? It's a piece of crap.",he stated with a smirk.

Satima turned to face him while walking backwards,"If you don't like it, then I suggest you learn how to hold your breathe longer than a minute. The ravager is mine now.", she cocked her head slyly.

Satima turned back around. She plopped down in her chair, bringing systems up. A holo-panel showed her diagnostics.

The turian merc sat next to her and played around on a similar panel. The Haven vibrated and thrummed loudly.

"What did you do?",Satima yelled angrily.

"I gave you a better chance to get us the hell out of here.",he gestured to the window, dozens of ravagers appeared.

Satima smiled mockingly then punched the thrusters on. They left quickly through the relay.

_Haven_

The ship resembled the exoskeleton of a damselfly. Haven had been painted a deep gold with a orange sheen. The inside of the ship walls were a smokey grey. An economy ion engine with a older model of drive core protected by a kinetic field occupied the engine room. Old and barely holding together, Haven had a crappy FTL core despite Jormuns expert maintenance skills. The merc set a course for a nearby sub-station. He was being dropped off instead of air-locked only because he gave Satima the creds.

At the station Satima and Jormun decided to go to the bar for a celebratory drink..or two. The merc disappeared after they hit the bar. As they sat, Satima ordered an Azure sunrise for Jormun. It 's neon blue liquid colored his suited hand when he grabbed the glass. The loud techno music blared in the background. People dancing, waving their arms and grinding on each other like there isn't a care in the universe to bother them. This wasn't half bad. A little more cleaner than places like Omega's _Afterlife_. She ordered her drink and turned her stool to face the crowd.

"Do you think I was acting stupid to get this money?", she asked expressionless.

Jormun slurped his drink through a straw. He gulped the liquid down fast.

"I didn't like almost being killed by a nano-sentitel but no..your not stupid.", he reached out to touch her hand.

"Not now Jormun.", she pushed his hand off.

"Then when?",he asked hurt.

"When I shake the memories away. When I can sleep without seeing her forcing me to be the guinea pig.",Satima raised her voice angry.

Jormun nodded and put his hand back around the glass.

"I'm sorry Jormun. I really do like you. Back there, I know I sort of ignored you. I'm glad your the voice of caution.",she touched his shoulder with a smile.

Jormun listened to her words. Satima had a kind heart but she ended up so damaged.

"I'm going to check this cred chit out. After I finish my drink of course.", she laughed loudly.

"Hey, payday is a payday.", Jormun and Satima made their cheers together.

* * *

Reaper stood in front of the mirror. A rush of memories flooded her mind. She can't remember why, but she felt remorseful towards the subject Satima. All those years forcing her to undertake the injections. Watching her squirm on the examination table. Who was she?

_"Who am I?"_

Reaper looked away.

That turian will pay in his blood for keeping her from the objective. He beat her down too easily. Still,..his eyes hurt her. There was something in that gaze, it..shamed her. Her bio-tool pinged. The Prophet of Eternity requested her presence. Likely in light of her failure to apprehend the subject Satima again. After all these years the girl had grown strong and self-reliant. Isn't that what she was told to teach her? All Satima's skills and abilities, an exact copy of herself. But then, who was _she_? Again with the same thoughts, the same questions. Reaper must know..she must find the truth.

* * *

Titan Nebula:Outer Zone

He woke with a cold sweat. The stations air systems never worked well. It had been two days and that shitty ship Haven was still docked. He wondered at it. That strange girl with her odd features, alien eyes, pretty good with tech and keeping that ship afloat.

Doesn't matter. He felt more like shit since earlier, the beating he received and managed to survive from. Getting old had its disadvantages. It wasn't going to stop him from killing Reaper though.

He looked at a data pad from a week ago. It contained the last conversation between himself and a representative of the Directive. Some anonymous lackey, tried of being pushed around.

_"We've given you her location. Kill Reaper, free us from the tyranny of Hive."_

Simple. Yet he couldn't shake that feeling. He's betraying everything he once stood for but _she_ was a brighter galaxy long ago. He put his armor on and went to the bar. The quarian named Jormun sat at a table eating his nutrient paste. Spirits if she hadn't doomed them all. Why would she think destroying planets, committing total genocide was a good idea to stop the reapers. They traded one villain for another.

What really got him anxious was the fact Satima had never left. He knows she probably figured out the money had been erased over night but why is she staying? She's a smart girl, isn't she?

She appeared at the corner of the bar going to Jormun. A smile on her face as she plopped next to him like a naïve kid.

Just then the station had shut down. Red emergency lighting illuminated the floors.

* * *

"That cred chip is useless. All the money has been erased! I'm going to kill him!" Satima tried to keep a smile so the turian merc would think she's still clueless.

Satima knew the smug merc was watching them when she hacked the cameras on the station last night. Guy sleeps with a gun.

Jormun nearly choked on his food. "Are you serious? Satima, don't shoot up another bar. I just set a tab."

"Cancel it! I see that asshole he's dead! He thinks he's so smart and mysterious. Old has-been.",she shouted purposefully so the turian merc could hear her.

Red lights came on and most of the doors closed automatically.

"What's going on?",Jormun sounded panicky, pulling out Ish.

Satima had a bad feeling. She looked out a porthole, two ravagers drifted into dock.

"Shit! We need to go now!", she pulled him up.

Jormun and Satima tried two doors but her hacking codes couldn't break through. They tried to find emergency hatches but all were wielded shut.

At that moment of panic the main door hissed to life and five dread soldiers came in followed by Cyber. An elite droid assassin and second in command to Reaper under the Directive. He resembled a human male with visible cybernetic parts, his eyes were bright blue. Cyber wore a black jacket with the sleeves cut out. His pewter toned droid muscles flexed as he moved forward to Satima and Jormun.

Satima swallowed hard. This wasn't good, she rather deal with Reaper.

"Satima Naramis?," he hissed."

She backed away slowly into Jormun. He protectively put her behind him. Jormun's sudden change from scared engineer to brave crew-mate made her blush. The turian merc hid in the shadows.

Cyber paced around them like a hungry shark or krogan, either way, very dangerous.

"You are a hard person to find but found I have. Please, have a seat.",he gestured with a hand over some chairs.

Cyber sat on one as two of the men grabbed her, forcing her to sit opposite him. It felt like an interrogation. Cyber leaned forward.

"I'd like a better look. Turn off the shut down.", he yelled annoyed in his droid like voice.

The shut down was turned off and all doors were unlocked but Satima as well as Jormun knew, there was no escape.

Jormun stood at a distance surrounded by dread soldiers. He held a deadly glare at Cyber though no one could tell because of his suits mask.

"What do you want?", Satima said gulping hard.

Cyber leered at her. She leaned back in the chair from fear of his unknown intentions.

"I need a sample."

He snapped a finger and the same two men held her down as a salarian came running over with a needle instrument. She panicked. Satima struggled against their hold as they took blood from her. The salarian scurried back out the door with the sample.

"What the hell was that for?",she yelled angrily.

"We need to check how your mutation is going. The Directive is very interested in your progress.",he cocked his head strangely.

Cyber stood up, pacing around her. He motioned the guards to let her go. Satima sat up keeping the chair between herself and him. Jormun's heart raced.

"Why did they send you here? Are you going to kill me?",she asked checking the room for a weapon.

Cyber stood in place, he put a hand to his chin with a smirk.

"Kill you,..no. I'm here to take you back and to make sure you never escape again. We have great plans for you Satima."

Satima continued backing slowly to the bar.

"Then where is Reaper? Why isn't she in charge of this like before?",she put her arms on the counter casually.

She felt behind the bar for weapons. Most bar tenders had them concealed away fro emergencies, like this.

Satima found a pistol, carefully gripping it in preparation to fire.

"Reaper is...in the process of possible termination. Her services are no longer needed.",he chuckled loudly.

Satima chuckled with him. She brought out the pistol quickly firing on him. Cyber was too fast for her. He dodged every shot and knocked Jormun over to use him as a shield. Satima screamed in anger.

Cyber laughed cruelly,"You have to do better than that!"

"I'll Kill YOU!", she shouted.

Cyber laughed and waved them to take her. At that moment the turian in the shadows decided this was enough.

He pointed a widow rifle right in Cyber's face. He smirked and looked around in surprise.

"Sneaky bastard aren't you? How long have you been here?", he asked irritated.

"Long enough." The turian with blue markings cocked a fresh incendiary clip into the weapon.

Cyber smirked before kicking the rifle out of the turians hands. Knowing that would happen, the turian quickly brought out a pistol and shot Cyber in the chest twice.

He staggered back,"Nice try."

Cyber was about to bring out his weapon before a sudden feeling of time became distorted. Distracted by this, Satima wrested herself from the men and pulled out a hidden blade. She stabbed the neck of the closest one and flipped backward away from the other. Suddenly, dark armored figures appeared through distorted time. Each stepping out in different places of the room, surrounding the dread soldiers.

They were called Stalkers. Named for their ability to appear in many places without being seen or heard. The Stalkers started fighting with the dread soldiers. Cyber was in a current battle with two of them when he noticed the turian running to Satima.

"Come on.", he said pulling her from a Stalker.

Jormun shot a dread soldier running behind them.

"Satima are you OK?",he panted running hard to keep up.

Satima nodded thinking about Reapers demise. Is what Cyber said true? Why does she feel so strange about it?

They made it to her ship. Satima ran to the pilot chair, she keyed controls for Haven to unlock from the docking system. Together they piloted it away from the war-torn station. Ravagers firing cannon lasers, destroying the once peaceful rest stop.

The ship accelerated through space for an hour before Satima spoke. The silence had become maddening.

"I've never seen an Ancient up close before. A Stalker I mean.", she quietly said with no further emotion. It was as if the earlier event never happened.

The turian merc sat next to her since they escaped, he turned facing her.

"The first time I saw one of those things I nearly died. A fight I wasn't prepared for. All that menacing armor and ability to go where ever without even using ships or vehicles. Manipulating space-time? It's just to surreal."

He pressed a few buttons and clicked his mandibles in reflection.

Satima cleared her throat to speak.

"Jormun, check the left thruster again I think it's trying to break off.", she sounded nonchalantly.

* * *

Cyber threw his blade at the hanging body of a dead Ancient. It dangled from the black armored alien, silver blood oozed from the wound. He took sport in this exercise often.

"Sir we lost the Haven.", a lackey reported.

Cyber turned around and walked to him with a smile. His blue eyes narrowing on the unsuspecting subordinate.

"Is that all?", he asked calmly.

The lackey nodded yes.

Cyber replied with a _"hmm"_, then he reached out and broke the lackeys neck.

"I WANT ALL SCOUTS SEARCHING THE RIM AND TERMINUS SYSTEMS. FIND ME SATIMA!"

Cyber snatched his serrated blade from the body of the Ancient and jammed it in the skull of the lackey with a crunch. His shielding flashed a light orange, reacting to his emotions.

* * *

_Well that's the end of chapter one. Tell me what you thought?_

_Also my Beta reader did not make an account yet, still trying to bring her to the "fanfiction side"..ha._

_She is indeed real._

_"In my time, brownies were made with...salarian liver."_


	2. Omega

Thanks to my dearest awesome friend for Beta reading, critiquing and putting up with the occasional frown. Love and hugs to my Beta reader Alice!

Sadly I own nothing

(Except for my stuff)

* * *

Satima thought about the merc. His intentions to kill Reaper seemed a bit personal. Then again her intentions would be too. The long years kept in a cell, tortured, trained, shaped to be something dangerous,..slightly insane. It took some time for her to break free from the habits, the constant thoughts that molded her dreams into horrible nightmares. Satima remembered when she was little that she used to have the most beautiful blue eyes, they were human eyes. Mass amounts of injections later, they turned a deeper green, her scelra black. Since her _birth_, she had four odd fingers with grey colored nails. Claws that could rip off flesh grew over night. She went from normal human girl to some kind of strange alien.

The only other thing she was born with is her oddly shaped forehead. The deep lines formed a very distinct feature down to the slightly raised ridges on her nose. That and her sharp little teeth. But on the whole, she was mostly human,..mostly. Satima hated what she was and not because of the obvious alien deformation but that she was the only one of her kind.

Being alone in the universe is not something she wished on anyone, even her enemies.

Jormun watched the merc settle in the mess. He brought out dextro paste to eat. His armor shone a deep blue, some gold bird on his right arm. It was very old, with scorch marks and heavy scarring. Jormun was told as a child that you can always tell a person by their suit. What they wear, how long they wear it and what shape it was in. Giving the small fact that the merc wasn't wearing a suit but armor, actually made no difference. Culturally maybe but not metaphorically. Judging by the merc's, Jormun surmised he was broken, old and weary, angry definitely with emotional scarring. At this speculation, Jormun felt a little sorry for the guy. The merc took a bite of his paste, that's when Satima walked in.

She stopped as he kept eating. His right face and mandible had very old deep scars. Most of it seemed healed but she understood, that type of scarring never heals. His deep avian blue eyes had an intensity, like he could read every dirty secret she harbored. It was unnerving. Blue markings covered the bridge of his raised flat nose to his eye. Satima folded her arms in frustration. She needed a name, not just,"_hey turian merc_!"

"You gonna give us a name now?",she glared his way.

The merc set his helmet on the table and sat on the bench to eat. Satima almost shouted her question again before the merc answered.

"Why is it so important? I'm not hanging around here long.",he bit off the end of the plastic tube and spit it out. Paste oozed and an unpleasant odor of dead meat filled the room.

Jormun shut off his filters.

Satima sat across from him. It didn't bother her. She ate this stuff all the time, most of the time. Satima watched him suck out some paste ignoring her presence.

"You're a pretty good liar. You lied about the creds. Why not make something up, an alias, if it will make you feel..safer.", she cocked an eye with a smirk while air quoting _safer_.

He finished his meal, tossing the trash on the floor.

"No name. It's better that way.",he got up to leave, irritated by Satima's attempts.

Satima had enough with this guys head games. She was going to get an answer one way or another. Standing up to block him, Satima pushed him back. She wasn't afraid of his kind. Mercs were all assholes anyway.

"You talk tough and mean. I can be meaner. How about I shove you out the nearest air-lock? Don't think you can get past me because of my size. I know how to kill turians easily.",she grinned showing her sharp teeth.

The merc stepped back and cocked his head. He looked at Jormun who reached around for Ish.

Turning back to her, the merc leaned in close, face to face,"I don't make it a habit of bullying little girls."

Satima punched him across the mandible. He shook his head in understanding. She wanted a fight and a fight she was going to get!

"What is your NAME!", she jabbed but missed.

He sidestepped, landing a fist at her ribs, holding back from dealing heavy damage.

Satima coughed but regained her battle stance. It seemed so familiar.

"Tell ME!", she rushed at him, he sidestepped again but Satima caught it.

She hit his throat hard making him gasp for air. Any harder and she could have killed him. He was impressed at her knowledge. Satima grabbed his fringe, knowing where to twist. He yelled in pained rage. No one touches the fringe The merc elbowed her in the chest right above the heart. She fell back rolling on all fours coughing.

"ENOUGH!",Jormun screamed waving Ish around threateningly.

They both looked at him. Satima used her weight on her knee to stand up. It had been a good while since she was in a scrap like that. The merc leaned against the wall, he clutched his side heaving in heavy breaths. She got him pretty good, especially since it was the same spot Reaper kicked in days before. Smart little wench.

Jormun walked to Satima who vehemently pushed his efforts to help away. She was strong willed but too stubborn.

"..n..now..will you tell me your damn name!", she tried shouting it but wheezed from his elbowed blow.

The merc smiled with a laugh,"..garrus..it's just garrus..", he slid down the wall resting.

"You _boshtet's_!",Jormun said as he went after the first aid kits.

Garrus used his last medi-gel kit to heal up the recent assault on his ribs. Satima's childish yelling at her boyfriend gave him a headache.

Jormun tried to apply the small tube of medi-gel to Satima's chest. It had a big round bruise on the skin. She was lucky that "Garrus" guy didn't hit harder.

"OW!", she stared at Jormun in displeasure. He fumbled with the tube as she yelled insults in his attempts to soothe the pain.

Garrus watched smirking. Satima acted stubborn but capable. She needed Jormun.

He wandered into the engine room. An old soul of the machinery lingering past its due. Maybe it needs some work. He got down on the floor and found data pads with plenty of calculations on the various systems in the room. Completing all the tasks would take a few hours but he needed the distraction. As time passed he fell asleep leaning on the wall. His grey dream turned from serene mountains of Palaven to a nightmare, filled with reapers, husks and Shepard. Garrus's horrific nightmare gave no indication of letting him wake. Even though he wanted to, an eerie feeling drew him deeper in the subconsciousness of his dreamscape.

There she was. Standing in front of him in full N7 armor, wielding her rifle with that sure gaze. Garrus slowly walked to her. He tried speaking as words formed in his mind. Nothing but a cold silence fell between them. She looked down with the saddest stare. Suddenly a red light covered them. Garrus covered his face to block out the harsh beam, when his eyesight recovered, Shepard stood closer. He could almost touch her. Her armor was burnt, flesh shown in patches covered in the crimson blood humans were known to have. Shepard wavered in her stance, her eyes watery and bloodshot. She seemed surprised. She spoke.

_"Garrus? Why are you here?"_

_(to save you!)_

His thoughts spoke for him though his mouth never moved.

Garrus began tossing and turning on the floor.

_"Help me.", she asked._

_(how?)_

He grips his rifle tight. Someone enters the engine room cautiously. Garrus put a finger on the trigger.

_(you're dying)_

He lets it go.

_"I need to do this. We have to stop the reapers!"_

_(you're a liar)_

He bares his teeth in anger.

_"The Solution.", Shepard repeated._

_(indoctrinated)_

He growls at nothing in his sleep,"Shepard, you can't do this.",he repeats loudly in the room.

_(murderer)_

Putting his taloned hand into a fist so tight, it pierces flesh and bleeds.

_"I have to do this.", she pleads._

_(accomplice)_

He moans a _no_ to himself

_"Garrus you need to get out.",she yells._

_(you hurt me)_

He lets go and unclenches his fist,"Shepard!"

_"Garrus! GO!"_

He can't remember her face anymore.

_( And you've got to be kidding me!)_

She turns away, walking into a red beam that swallows her whole.

_(but you left me)_

He opened his eyes to a feeling of being watched. She stood there still as stone. Then she blinked her sea green eyes at him.

Satima hovered with her head cocked to one side.

"Who's Shepard?"

He sat up quickly. Garrus stood facing Satima.

"No one.",he walked off hurriedly.

Satima watched him, repeating his haunted words. The nightmare he had in front of her, she too understood what is was like.

"..no one..",she repeats walking away.

* * *

They made it to Omega. The Haven was docked and loaded into the stations systems. Satima had requested re-fueling and some diagnostic checks. She stayed in the ship as Garrus got ready to leave. He stopped short of the cockpit. The door out a few feet away.

"Leaving already?",she said occupying herself with scans of the ship.

Garrus smirked not quite ready to step out the air-lock. Something made him linger.

"You said you were a prisoner of HIVE? How did you escape?",he watched her movements closely, curious for her answer.

Satima stopped typing at his question. A deep memory playing before her. She glanced away to the chair next to hers. Turning to face him, Satima stared past Garrus. She saw something in the distance, a shadow. It looked like Reaper waiting for her. She shook her head.

"An opportunity came and I took it. The rest gets fuzzy."

Satima returned to her work. Eventually after realizing she wouldn't talk anymore, he left.

On Omega he returned to a spot long forgotten by the new inhabitants. The broken bridge that was never repaired creaked from his steps. His favorite perch to scan the area displayed overhead as he walked further into the old building. Ascending the stairs slowly he could still hear the gunfire in his mind. The room to his left remained closed, a morgue he set up for some of his fallen comrades.

"Probably bones now.", he said to himself.

There to his right is the room with the balcony. She found him right at this spot and things were never the same again. Not for her and not for him. He sat down in the old bunker room on the second floor eying a bottle of brandy lying underneath a bed. Grabbing it he gulped the hard liquor fast. It burned so good down his throat.

An hour of self loathing later he left the old compound. At a terminal hub, he wanted to contact an old friend. Before he could make the call a station wide alert came on. The large holo projector showing a face, it was Satima's. There was a hefty bounty for her.

_Damn!_

* * *

It was hard to focus with a blaring alarm coming from the inside of the station. Jormun left to make a call to his family. She went looking for him after an hour passed with no message. Satima tried comming him. No answer. This worried her. Satima walked amongst the heavy crowd, pushing them out of her way, she noticed how noisy the area became. Looking up, she could see a crowd of people staring at the large holo projector. It had her face on it. Satima gulped and backed up slowly. If she drew attention to herself any bounty hunter in that crowd could find her.

Satima turned around and started to walk fast back to her ship. When she got there, dread soldiers were all over it.

"...great..!",she said quietly to herself.

She watched from the corner of a docking platform as they searched her ship. It felt like they were invading her own body. Her ship! Satima backed up looking around in a panic. She found a tan head wrap lying in some old tools on the floor. Satima wrapped it around her head and face only revealing the eyes to see.

Walking past the same crowd from earlier she made a decision to find the one person that could help.

"If he's still here?", she thought.

* * *

He watched the crowd. The Haven was already swarmed by soldiers but they found nothing. He figured she had either escaped or maybe left earlier before they came. A female figure pushed hard past the crowd. She wore a tan head wrap, her unique eyes watching for sudden movements towards her.

"Satima.", he thought.

He walked into the crowd blending in as carefully as possible. Satima never noticed him. She would need training. Following her steadily she went inside an elevator. He jumped in quickly.

She gasped at him and pulled out a long blade.

"What the? How did you find me?", she yelled angry at the surprise.

"You can't seem to stay out of trouble kid.",he smirked.

She put the blade back while punching the level panel,"Have you seen Jormun?"

He nodded no with a sigh.

"Great,..no telling where he is or if he's been captured?", she paced in front of him.

Satima rubbed her head in frustration then brushed back her fiery red hair. She stopped to turn, facing him and cocked her head.

"You didn't sell me out did you?",she glared.

Garrus raised an eye,"No..working for the HIVE or helping The Directive is the least thing I want to do. I'd rather kiss a krogan and that's a painful act to consider."

Satima nodded satisfied with his answer for now. The elevator seemed to rattle and stopped suddenly.

"What floor did you press?", he asked edgy.

"Anywhere?", she shrugged in confusion.

He had a rifle ready for any surprise. The elevator stopped. The door slid open to a dark district. For some reason it had been abandoned. Satima held her hand in the pitch black atmosphere, she couldn't see it. Garrus stepped out cautiously, he turned on his rifles light.

"Stay behind me.", he said in a serious tone.

Satima scoffed,"I can take care of myself. I'm not afraid of the dark."

Garrus rolled his eyes. She'll either die horribly or get them both killed..horribly. Satima stood next to him, a blade visible in her human like hand. She cocked her head to each sound, careful where to step. Maybe she was capable after all.

They walked past an open doorway but it had fallen debris in it. Poorly lit hallways and one particular scary one with a flickering light. Unfortunately for Satima, it brought a bad memory of being five and alone,..in the dark. So she lied to Garrus. It wouldn't make things better if she jumped or freaked at every sound. Or if she imagined a horrible monster coming at her from the dark.

Garrus could tell through his visor that her heart was racing. She did lie about the dark. Everyone is afraid of it, child or adult. It's what you can't see coming at you that makes you fear. Whispers passed behind them. They both looked, already feeling jumpy.

"I don't like this.", Satima said spooked.

He didn't either. The quiet and constant dark were a perfect mix for ambush..from anything.

After a few minutes of walking they came to a grated metal bridge that had old blood stains. Red blood. It overlooked a long drop into a vat of Eezo. The whining noise echoed around them as they walked further. Glowing blue ore lit the path as they descended in the strange ward.

"Don't look down.", he said with a smirk.

Satima averted her eyes. She stepped in the red blood making a disgusted look. It seemed sticky, oozy.

"Ugh, gross.", she covered her mouth for fear of vomiting.

"Human.", he pointed out.

"How do you know?", Satima asked curious.

"The smell."

She didn't need the details on how he became acquainted with the smell of human blood. What was strange is the fact the old blood didn't coagulate properly. It should have been like an old paint stain. Not liquid and runny.

An open doorway that looked clear and well-lit seemed to be the path out. Satima followed him though watching for anything to come jumping out at them. Her heart raced faster, she couldn't keep the memories at bay. His visor alerted him again to squad mate blood pressure elevation.

"Calm down. Your not alone down here.",he said over his shoulder to her.

She nodded back to him and took a deep breath. Satima felt better, for a few minutes at least. She missed Jormun. He would've had her back.

They ended up in a large dark room with rust colors in puke green and mud brown. The black walls wet with condensation from the many pipes that flowed though. Steam spurted out in small holes on the metal pipes. Garrus turned off his rifle light. The dark in this room was alleviated by illuminators, though dim. In front of the walkway were stairs. They slowly descended. At the bottom, a door was kept locked to a hallway separated by bullet proof glass. Satima went to it and studied the panel.

"I can hack through in two minutes, three tops. It's a really old encrypted lock." She brought up her omni-tool.

He noticed a lot of broken glass on the floor and a few very old pods. In front of one was a terminal. He turned it on to witness something he was only told about. The adjutant project that Cerberus tried to keep in control but failed. He found some footage from the security cameras. His eyes widened to see _her_. A strong feeling of regret made him queasy. He turned it off.

"I got IT!", Satima said loudly, proud of her skill.

He flinched to see if one of those things would come running out of the darkness but nothing happened. At least not yet.

"Spirits kid! Keep your voice down.", he told her a little too loud himself.

She covered her mouth and made an apologetic stance to him smirking.

The door opened behind her. Garrus turned his rifles light back on and nearly dropped it in horror.

"SATIMA.. RUN!", he screamed.

Satima was grabbed by the exact monster he watched earlier on screen. She yelled kicking and cursing. Garrus took pot shots at it, careful not to hit her. Satima stabbed it in the eye with her blade. The adjutant stumbled backwards grabbing at the object in pain. Garrus dashed to Satima, he helped her up. Her whole body shaking.

They ran past the door and found a broken hatch to their left. The other way out was also covered in debris. The adjutant roaring behind them as they searched desperately for a way out. Garrus noticed a leaking gas pipe in the hall. He could ignite it on the adjutant, but they needed to find cover. Satima found an open hatch with a ladder.

"We can escape here!", she shouted terrified.

The adjutant came running down the hallway, it's biotic warps hurling towards them. Garrus had no time to debate. He pushed Satima down the ladder. Garrus turned almost face to face with the beast, he threw himself backward down the chute, shooting the pipe with precision. A blast of fire and heat shot him fast downward. He landed on something soft. It seemed a few minutes passed by as Garrus painfully got up.

"Satima?", he grunted," Where are you?",yelling hoping she could hear him.

He heard a small moan below him.

"...he..here..", she said raising a hand.

"Spirits!", he reached down grabbing it, pulling her up out of debris she previously fell onto.

Him falling on her had to of been painful. He scanned for anything broken feeling guilty. Satima stumbled backwards but held on to Garrus as she walked forward in a drunken stance. She turned around to him.

"You landed on me. That..really hurt.",she fell backwards on the ground unconscious.

Garrus knelt beside her. He picked Satima up, hoisting her over his shoulder. Just his luck. Garrus slowly walked forward in the new open district. Grateful for the extra light and civilization from upstairs. Balconies across blared music around him as it echoed off metal walls.

Satima showed no signs of waking. Minutes passed, Garrus's shoulder started to hurt from the weight. Not that Satima was actually heavy but her little bit of armor and him carrying her for ten minutes put a strain on his muscles. Slowly wandering in the ward, he looked around to see a red mark of graffiti on the wall. One that the he smiled at.

The Talons.

As he walked in the district a few turians showed up, weapons in hand. They surrounded them.

_"I hate surprises.", he thought._

"You have no business here. We allow so many refugees at a time and only turians.", the turian in red and black demanded. They all had their helmets on.

"I am a turian you moron.",Garrus yelled agitated.

"Who is she? Your mate?", they all laughed together mockingly.

"Obviously human.", another one said.

"Slip her a little fun in the drink?",one from behind sniggered.

Garrus glared at them.

A turian who was respected approached. His armor was more red, he had no helmet. His face and one mandible were covered in grey clan markings, gold eyes stared straight his way. He had a sniper rifle on his back.

"What's going on here?", he said sternly.

They all saluted and one of them said,"Sir! We have trespassers. One is the alien girl whose bounty was on the wall."

Garrus's head snapped to the turian merc. Damn! Were they watching them the whole time? Could the adjutant be theirs?

The turian merc stood in front of Garrus and Satima as the respected gang leader walked closer to them. He studied the taller turian in blue. Then he laughed.

"Men. Put your weapons down! We have a legend in our district."

They all looked at each other but obeyed their orders.

Aiden held out his taloned hand,"Garrus Damn Vakarian! I thought you were dead?"

"Aiden Aurelius. It's been a long time.",he shook it vigorously, eying the younger turian mercs.

* * *

They were led inside the Talons base. Aiden stopped in front of the door. He put in an access code. Once through Garrus saw a whole new underground of people. Mostly turians and a few asari, these were refugees that could not leave. The sick were laid in one area of the building with volunteers trying to nurse them and any injured had been piled behind them.

He could hear children playing somewhere.

Dextro nutrient paste came stock and barrel. Stacked four feet high next to each other on the far left hand wall behind some Talon mercenaries. They were guarding it. Following the turian men Garrus noticed a small room to their right. Apparently that's where they were heading.

"What is it you need?", Aiden asked.

"A place for my friend to rest. She also needs medical help.",Garrus hinted at how long he had been carrying her.

_Were he in his younger days..._

Aiden nodded, he signaled for a merc to bring in a cot. An asari came in with a medical bag. Garrus laid Satima on the cot. Her faced had a bruise around the eye. The asari nurse took scans, applied medi-gel and other ointments on Satima's cuts. Garrus watched her, he didn't trust mercs or criminals. Aiden looked on with fascination. This odd girl who had a strange beauty to her. The asari took out an injector, she lifted the brown jacket sleeve off Satima's arm. Garrus grabbed her hand.

"It's for pain. She has bruised ribs.", the asari nurse stated.

Garrus looked at Aiden who nodded the OK. He let go of her arm. At the prick of flesh Satima woke with a start, grabbing the injector holding it tightly to the asari's neck. She glared around the room in total fright. Garrus knelt next to her.

"Satima, it's alright. No one is going to hurt you.",he tried a soothing tone.

It's been awhile.

Satima looked at him in surprise, almost as if she forgot where she was. Garrus put a gentle hand on her arm and she let go of the injector. The asari nurse fled. Aiden leaned on his leg with a smirk.

"Dangerous and sexy.", he smiled at Satima.

Satima snorted to him. She turned to Garrus.

"Where is Jormun?"

* * *

They wasted an hour talking. Satima hated it. Jormun could be dead in an alley somewhere being picked off by vorcha and they wanted to talk! Satima settled against a weapons bench, occupying her thoughts with something constructive. Garrus sat with Aiden.

"I need the dread soldiers to leave the docking area so we can get back to her ship.", he said.

Aiden watched Satima and looked at Garrus.

"Strange girl."

Garrus noticed Aidens curiosity. He averted the young turians gaze back to him.

"Have you been getting any trouble from The Directive lately?" Garrus didn't like small talk.

"No more than usual." Aiden leaned forward to observe her closely. "Who is she?".

Garrus got irritated by this. He stood up to block his view. Aiden acted annoyed but stopped his staring.

"Just a girl who owns a ship. I need your help Aiden. Can an old friend of the family request that much?", Garrus asked politely.

Aiden smirked,"Old friend! You haven't aged a day Garrus. Must be that merc life and all the blue ass you can get. All right, I'll give you help."

Garrus smiled satisfied with his _"negotiation"_. Aiden nodded but seemed distracted when Satima nearly burned her hand with a soldering gun. Garrus never liked that look. He knows what it means.

"So within the hour?", Garrus towered over the younger turian distracting his view once more.

Aiden had a blank look to his face. He clicked his mandibles and stood to shake Garrus's hand.

"Of course."

Aiden left the room. Garrus walked over to a busy Satima.

"You alright?", he asked concerned and sorry about earlier.

She glanced his way but went back to fixing an abandoned pistol.

"Yeah. Just anxious to leave."

Garrus noticed she was having a difficult time cleaning a mod she found to her new weapon. He found a hanging cloth and took the mod out of her hand.

"You're doing it wrong."

She replied with a quick "HEY!".

Garrus smirked at her.

"If you clean this tiny opening you'll wipe off the grease necessary for lubrication. Without that it will lock up and the mod will break. What is this any way?"

He fumbled with it to see what model it was. Armor piercing type.

"Is it done yet?". she asked impatiently.

Garrus handed her the mod. "Do you know how to re-attach it?"

She snatched the mod scoffing and put it back in the pistol. She cocked it with a smile.

"I do now."

* * *

Satima noticed how Aiden kept leering at her. The uneasy stares and how he moved his mandibles sent a bad feeling in her gut. She would never give him the pleasure of sleeping with her. She wanted it to be Jormun, though the likelihood was small. Quarians can die from that if they aren't careful. Satima didn't want to be held responsible for her lovers death.

Garrus paced around the underground bunker. He watched Aiden. Satima could most certainly take care of herself but a sexual predator was always ready for anything. His days in C-sec gave him that much insight. So Garrus planned. If Aiden made a wrong move, he would cut his prick off and toss it to that pet adjutant still lurking in the dark wards. The thought made Garrus smile.

Forty minutes passed and Aiden signaled they were ready. Garrus, Aiden and Satima looked over a holo grid of their plans.

"I have two scouts out there. The Directive has a tight hold on your ship but I think we can manage a good diversion."

Aiden sounded sure and proud of his idea. While the Talons play urban war with them, Garrus and Satima are to take a back alley route to the docking hub. When they reach it, they will have a small amount of time to get on. Aiden will release the Haven from the tethers so Satima can override the controls. Once completed they are free to leave.

"We have to find Jormun once the Haven is free. If they have him...?",Satima looked at Garrus concerned.

Garrus nodded in agreement. Satima watched them both. Even though Aiden was evidently younger than Garrus they acted as equals. She wasn't familiar with turian culture. Aiden gave Satima the same uneasy stare the whole ride to the outer docks. Garrus kept a firm hand on his rifle.

"Satima? Is that your whole name?", Aiden asked suddenly, looking her up and down.

The silence had broken, Satima reluctantly complied.

"Satima Naramis. My name was given to me."

"By who?", Aiden asked again.

Satima turned to him with a devilish grin until Garrus broke the conversation.

"I think you have enough information now.", Garrus blurted out.

Satima looked away and watched the lights of Omega's city. They reached their destination. Garrus and Satima got out with Aiden following behind.

"Through here.", he pointed to a door.

Aiden punched a few more codes and it opened. Not a dark scary corridor this time.

"Go through this alley. Follow it to the end. A door to your right will take you straight to the Haven."

Garrus shook his hand. "Thank you."

Aiden complied. He looked at Satima one more time, licking his mandible. He watched them go down the alley and disappear.

_"Strange eyes.", he said to himself._

* * *

Satima hated the quiet. She half expected a slew of dread soldiers on the other end just waiting to take her.

"So, you're a legend around here?", she asked trying to keep the thoughts away.

Garrus chuckled," Not a legend but maybe most wanted, once. Though that's not going to be a problem anymore."

He checked another corridor. Clear.

Satima felt childish but got curious about his visor.

"Does it help?"

Garrus glanced her way then quickly turned forward.

"Help what?"

Satima nearly bumped into him from not paying attention.

"Your visor. Does it help with fighting?", she pointed not noticing it till now.

"Yeah. I'm a sniper most times but I can use any weapon. Take your blades for instance. Did you know that at the right spot, you can separate the spine of a drell or snap the plating off a turians eye and jam it hard to the brain."

He sounded a bit excited talking about battle.

"Not in that way..no. I do know how to cut off a fringe or two.", she waved her blade with a smirk.

Garrus watched her flick the blade in skill. He remembered Aiden,"Satima, be careful around men like Aiden. They take no as yes and don't stop until they are satisfied. He is very strong, very skilled in hand to hand."

Satima nodded, surprised at Garrus's sudden interest in her safety. It seemed strange. Garrus likewise felt awkward at his words. He just wanted to keep her safe but why?

"We need to find Jormun.",he said walking away.

"Right.",she followed behind agreeing.

They reached the end of the door. Garrus used his visor to find any heat signatures. Clear.

"Stay behind me. Use your blades to defend in close quarters. The pistol to repeal any one from getting close." Garrus had a bad feeling. Aiden was up to something. Friend or not, this galaxy has become more and more like survival of the fittest.

Garrus opened the door. He took point and cover behind a crate. Up ahead there were a few dread soldiers. They either weren't paying attention or pretended not to.

Gun fire broke out. The soldiers ran from the Haven. It was now or never. Garrus and Satima ran, keeping watch for any ambushes as they reached Haven. Garrus signaled by comms to Aiden. Within seconds the tethers released. Satima opened the Havens doors. Once inside she quickly went to the pilot controls, her hands effortlessly gliding across the holo-panels. Garrus closed the hatch shut. He turned around only to be knocked out by a rifle barrel.

Satima managed to get the Haven out of the docks but they weren't out of danger yet. Two ravager patrols swarmed the outer zone. If they see her they'll shoot the ship down.

"Garrus I need you to ask Aiden for air support."

No response.

"Garrus?", she said nervously.

Satima got up and carefully eyed the corner of the doorway connecting to the mess pointing her pistol. All the room doors were closed.

"...garrus..", she whispered.

Satima aimed the pistol walking into the mess. Garrus was no where in sight. She heard a creak on the floor behind her.

"I knew there was something strange about you."

Satima turned around fast. It was Aiden!

"How did you board my ship? The tethers were locked and there was no access!", Satima backed herself to the wall. Behind her Garrus laid knocked out. He hadn't woke yet.

"Garrus doesn't like to talk much. Selfish bastard. You know he could've helped secured Omega for the Talons. He just walked off saying "this wasn't his war anymore".

Aiden got agitated.

Satima tried hitting Garrus with her boot.

"..garrus..",she whispered through gritted teeth.

Aiden kept talking.

"I'm not going to give you to the Directive. No. The Ancients have a better offer. Who wants money when you can get power. I'll have complete control of Omega and Aria's head on a pike decorating "MY STATION"!", Aiden shouted.

Satima tried to shoot him. He dodged. Aiden grabbed her pistol throwing it across the floor. She attempted to deflect a blow from his fist but it didn't work. Face down she went on the floor. Crawling to get the weapon he pulled her by the legs backward. She twisted herself and hit his face with her boot knocking him down. Satima reached the pistol but he stepped on her hand. She screamed in pain.

"I don't want to hurt you but I will if I need to!", he grabbed her by the hair.

"Why are your eyes so familiar? What are you?"

Satima spit in his face. He dropped her hard. Aiden straddled her trying to pin her arms down. Satima fought with all her strength.

"Don't struggle.", he said smelling her hair like the perv he is.

Aiden got close to her face.

"I'm going to enjoy this", he whispered.

Aiden rubbed a talon on her neck. She felt sick and disgusted. Satima closed her eyes hoping to forget what was happening.

**"HEY!"**

Aiden looked up to see Jormun holding his shotgun, Ish.

"How did you get on board?",he yelled annoyed.

"I let him in.",Garrus kicked Aiden off of Satima. She scrambled on her feet, crouched in an attack position.

"Garrus! Come on, it's all just a little fun. I can cut you in on the deal.", Aiden sounded desperate.

Jormun cocked the gun. Garrus smirked putting his left boot on the bench, leaning on his knee as he stared at Aiden.

"No deal."

Jormun shot him in the chest. Aiden flew backwards but was still alive.

Satima ran to Aiden in a rage. She straddled him, pulled out a blade and jammed it into Aidens eye plate. He screamed in agony as Satima lifted it off and with one quick strike, ended him. Satima kept stabbing the mushy matter over and over, yelling in furry. Blue blood splattered her face. Jormun dropped his rifle in disbelief. Satima stopped when she heard the clang of metal. She turned to face Jormun, a look of wild pleasure from the kill on her face followed by a solemn understanding of what she'd done. Jormun hastily walked past her to the engine room.

"I..I have to get the Haven ready to FTL.",he nervously said passing by her.

Garrus watched her shake. Satima backed off and sat on the floor eying the blue blood pool around Aiden's head. The blade still attached. Satima stared at her hands covered in the turians blood. She chuckled then stood, glancing at Garrus before running to the bathroom. He heard her vomit hard.

Garrus walked to the body and pulled the blade out. He was impressed and worried. Satima acted like a wild predator more than a skilled professional. She was uncaged and enjoying it. Whatever HIVE had done to her, was a permanent imprint that could not be erased.

A sound of alarms blared from Omega. He went to the piloting chair and flew the ship back out into space. Using a relay to escape again.

Minutes passed. Garrus set the auto-pilot and felt he needed to check in on her. He could hear Satima scream while flew Haven out the relay. Garrus hesitantly knocked on the door. He gulped down a hard emotion of uncertainty.

Satima heard him outside the bathroom door. She rocked herself in the same manner she had always done before. Tears began drying on her face. She stopped herself from crying so they came out hard, hot and stinging her eyes.

"Satima? I know you're in there. Do you want to talk?"

Spirits now he's acting like the Commander. Satima opened the door but remained seated on the floor. She looked so much like a lost child with deadly skills. Garrus cleared his throat and walked in. He sat on the small toilet facing her.

"You want to talk about it?", he stared at her with a sincere look.

She shook her head as she looked at the lines of the tiled floor.

"I see you listened to my advice." he chuckled nervously.

She ignored him staring at her hand. Garrus leaned back. Smooth. Complement her on acting like a crazed maniac.

"When..", she started.

He sat up to listen.

"When I was sixteen, I ended up in a bad situation. Running away isn't easy and being broke at the same time, even harder. I stole some rich guys creds.", she laughed.

" He had a bounty on me then. I tried to hide but the bounty hunter found me. I'm not like everyone else you see. I look like no one else. So I was branded an alien. Something the Ancients made? I don't know, anyways, so he caught me. On board his ship he had a crew of three. Himself, an asari and a batarian. The bounty hunter was a turian. Real hard ass and real strict.", she swallowed hard deep in her memories.

Garrus saw Jormun at the corner of his eye. He motioned for him to stay where he was. Satima had not noticed and proceeded to let out her frustrations uninterrupted.

"The fifth day I spent in my cell, he came to me. He touched my hair and stared at me. It made him angry or at least I thought it was anger. The asari stayed drunk so much I couldn't ask for help. I knew I was going to die. Then the batarian showed up. He yelled and the turian yelled. They eventually ended up in a fight. The batarian killed the turian and dumped the drunk asari on a station somewhere. He was kind to me.",she took a breath closing her eyes. It felt good to talk about it.

Garrus sat further out, leaning in anticipation. Odd for a batarian to take in a stranger let alone defend one.

"After a few weeks he took me to his home. Some old Cerberus base I've never heard of. His name is Borlask and after I turned eighteen and learned the trade, he gave me Haven.",she smiled.

Garrus smiled and motioned for Jormun to come in. He got up to leave them alone. Satima needed someone who loved her to hear this and to comfort her.

"Ancestors Satima, I never knew that. I'm sorry for freaking out earlier.",he sat on his knees in front of her.

Satima looked at him and gently touched his hand,"Thanks for saving my ass.", she laughed.

She and Jormun embraced. Satima felt so different than from before. All these years she had to be tough, she was tought to be tough. Jormun changed that. He actually cared for her and never hurt her. Satima wondered about Garrus. How kind he was to her, not flinching from her. She thought about his nightmare a day ago.

_"Who is Shepard?"_

Garrus dragged the dead Aiden to the air-lock and closed the door between them. He pressed the panel watching the body being snatched into space.

"Goodbye Aiden, you depraved son of a bitch."

* * *

Thanks to the readers out there for viewing. Don't be shy to review. The cover image for this story is my own creation. It is Satima of course! ;)

More Chaps to follow.


	3. Contact

**_Paradox-_**

**a statement or proposition that seems self-contradictory **

******or absurd but in reality expresses a possible truth.**

_Following the story of Omega, we collide with Contact._

_Disclaimer:I do not own any rights to the Bioware Mass Effect Universe,game and story, etc._

* * *

_Satima hadn't slept in hours._

_"We're going to need to refuel soon. Also running out of provisions."_

_Jormun's voice woke Satima from nodding off at the control panel. She widened her eyes to the holo-grid before her._

_"Yeah..looks like we're in luck. There's a colony nearby.",Her head ached from exhaustion._

_She couldn't let herself sleep until they were clear of the Directive._

_But how far can she go before she would end up cornered?_

* * *

Satima opened her eyes to a harsh alarm blaring in the background. Damn citadel. A place completely unfamiliar to her. She stretched her back from the sitting position she assumed since being brought to the containment cell. An all white room with a seamless interior. No clear indication of a door or wall misplacement and especially no windows.

The "C-Sec" guards put her there. As if she couldn't take them and run. But she didn't. _"Where is the Shepard?"_ was all she asked but they stared and whispered around her. The situation confused Satima. So she put her weapons down and peacefully surrendered hoping to find someone with a brain in charge. Instead, she got incarceration. Omega all over again..before meeting Garrus. The first time she met Jormun in fact. Satima smirked to a far off memory.

A sliding door behind her appeared and opened as three figures walked in. Satima stood up slowly, her legs sore from sitting too long. As she turned her heart pounded in her chest. It was Shepard standing in front of her. A small fearful voice yelled _"Reaper"! _in the back of her mind. Satima didn't let her emotions give her away. She faced them. Shepard, an asari wearing white armor and one big human male, kinda cute, who wore a tight body fitting grey shirt. His muscles bulged under the shirt. Satima gulped. He held a gaze to her for a moment before averting his eyes to the back of Shepard. She only wore her planet's military uniform. The one she spoke off in Satima's timeline, Alliance. Shepard crossed her arms and proceeded to speak.

"What are you? And how did you come through the relay monument?",Shepard's striking green eyes seemed to pierce through Satima.

Satima crossed her arms while leaning on the leg that wasn't still asleep.

"I can't tell you exactly how I came through that relay but I can tell you who I am. My name is Satima and I came to help stop the reapers."

The asari gasped while the human male contorted his face in a quizzical manner.

"Ok..anyone here understand that? Cause I am totally lost.",he said.

"This is _**the**_ most fascinating discovery. Speak again girl.",the asari asked walking closer to Satima.

Shepard rolled her eyes.

"Her allegations to stopping the reapers could be a cover. She could be working for the Illusive Man or the reapers themselves."

The asari looked at Shepard with an equally widened stare of curiosity.

"By the goddess, I almost forgot! Shepard you can read and understand Prothean. It would make sense that you can converse with one who speaks it directly.", the asari was becoming jumpy.

"I can what! She's speaking plainly...isn't she?",Shepard asked a little worried.

"No way Commander. That was a conversation completely in alien.",the human male responded.

"No doubt about it. This girl is speaking in a Prothean language. And I would definitely know.",the asari said matter of factly.

Satima shook her head hard. Too many languages talking at once. Is she crazy? Did she receive some kind of brain damage through the relay? Shepard sounds just like her, but why do the others sound different. Especially the other human. She was taught human language. What was going on here? Satima looked around the room to think. Could it have been the Sentarians? The very ones that sent her through the relay?

While Satima pondered walking in a circle, Shepard walked to Satima and looked her up and down. This alien girl completely covered in a strange black armor. Her stunning yet alien features staring right at her. The eyes are the most striking.

"Are..you Prothean?",she asked her.

"N..no. I am not..Prothean. I have no idea what that is.",Satima answered confused.

"What alien are you. What species?",Shepard asked curious.

Satima changed her stance to a more nervous demeanor.

"I..am a Sentarian.",Satima gulped.

Now she's lying flat out. No choice. If she compromises this one chance to stop the reapers, everything she had done or will do is for nothing. If Shepard figured anything about Satima's origins out, it could mean a really big problem.

"Sentarian? So how can you speak in a Prothean language?",Shepard asked again.

Satima backed away and began to walk in circles. Occasionally glancing towards them and Shepard. She stopped as Shepard seemed to be getting impatient. With a small vague explanation in mind, Satima spoke.

"I was...implanted with the special dialect, so only you and I can talk for..security reasons. The reapers can indoctrinate anyone, even friends. It would be safer this way. I assume.",Satima stared at them.

This was getting awkward. First thing Satima is going to do, is find out why the Sentarians did this. Second is to get her ability to speak plainly back.

"What did she say?",the asari spoke to Shepard.

Shepard stood in silence contemplating what Satima said. The asari stepped back with a anxious look.

"What happened? Why is everyone so quiet?",the human male became anxious as well.

Shepard sighed and un-crossed her arms. She looked at the asari and spoke, then motioned for the male to approach.

"This is Lt. Vega. He and my asari friend will be escorting you to the Normandy.",Shepard waved Satima to her.

Completely shocked by Shepard going along with her story, Satima couldn't help but ask.

"Why?..Why trust me so easily?"

Shepard turned back to her,"Because if what you're saying is true, then we are running out of time."

As Satima walked with Lt. Vega and the asari, she wondered how the asari seemed familiar to her. The Normandy docks were filled with different species of people. Passing by a strange looking bipedal bug, Satima overheard a quick conversation between a turian and a asari. By the looks on their faces and the sounds of her soft vocals, she might have been pleading with him to do something. Stay? Come back? Hard to tell. The thought of never seeing Jormon again stung bitter in her chest.

Satima passed the bio-field decontamination process. Walking inside the Normandy gave her goosebumps. It was a part of her torturers history. The good part. She despised Reaper but never got to know the real Shepard. Even though Reaper tried to make amends by sacrificing her life so Satima could get to the relay, the hard memories screamed loudest in her mind. It will be hard to work with Shepard, knowing who she might become, if Satima fails. Shortly after passing a huge holo-command deck of the ship, Shepard comes rushing through to headway their little walk. An elevator was before them. Satima watched Shepard press a sequence as it opened.

"We are going to the medical bay. First thing, we need to make you a translator so you can talk to anyone. That would be better. Second, I need more information on these Sentarians and who or what you represent. This is my ship, my command and there are rules you will have to follow. Do you understand?",Shepard glared toward Satima.

Satima nodded quietly.

"Good. Let's proceed then."

Shepard went inside first with Satima and the other two in tow. It became crowded with the large and very muscular Lt. Vega standing close to Satima. She gulped again.

The elevator door slid open, Vega stepped out and Satima followed. They all went to the medical bay. Inside Satima saw a salarian dressed in a long white lab coat that seemed more like armor. It had red lines and some metal thing going up his back neck. He glanced at Satima then double taked. In the far corner on a examination table, sat a strange looking krogan. With a blue shawl around its face and head, Satima wondered if it wasn't female. Tuchunka in her timeline closed itself off. There were rumors of space travel, independent of the rest of the galaxy but then those were just rumors.

"Fascinating...remarkable...stunning! Shepard! What is she? Where did she come from?",the salarian had a million questions blurting from his thin mouth.

Shepard held up a hand and he seemed to calm. They spoke off to the side as Satima walked to the krogan female. They exchanged glances and Satima nodded courteously to her.

Under guard, Satima sat in the medical bay. The salarian came to her with a needle, she shuddered from a bad memory. After taking a sample, he cocked his head at her.

"No need to be afraid. Only small prick, practically painless.",he spoke quickly.

Even though she couldn't understand him, the gesture to his needle and his use of it rang clear. Satima gave him a wry smile. _"So are my blades.", she thought._

The salarian backed away unsure but continued his work nonchalantly. In front of her the female krogan sat, her knees brought to her chest as she watched the salarian. She gave Satima a glance again. Shepard walked in, along with...

_"Shit. Garrus.",Satima thought._

Of course she had forgotten that _**this**_ Garrus had never met her yet or new the truth. Satima gulped but slowed her fears. This Garrus is young and never met her. No reason to silently freak out. Yet.

Shepard and Garrus stood in front of her.

"Garrus here has almost fixed a new translator for you. He's an excellent tech expert aside from others I know. In a hour, he'll bring it to you. Meanwhile, I need you to stay here until I finish some reports. Clear?"

Garrus looked at Shepard quickly then spoke in a really strange language that sounded deep from his chest more than his throat. Shepard turned to him.

"Are you saying that when I talk to her, I'm speaking entirely in Prothean?",she asked shocked.

Garrus nodded his head.

"That's..kinda scary. Liara would probably jump in glee.",Shepard rubbed her temples in frustration.

Shepard wondered off to the salarian. Satima and Garrus were left alone. Garrus cocked his head at her. She blinked her eyes then yawned in a bored fashion. Garrus chuckled to himself while walking to where Shepard was standing.

Satima watched them. They seemed so relaxed, so different. She was the one out of place. The paradox. An hour passed exactly. Time wasted that could have been used to tell Shepard everything. But was it her secret to keep or share? Those questions kept looping in her mind. Satima decided she had enough of the waiting. When she got off the examination table, Garrus came in. He handed her a small device. It was her new translator. Satima accepted it and attached it to her obviously damaged one. A single click in her right ear made her wince slightly. Still doesn't explain how or why the Sentarians gave her Prothean language.

Garrus stood back then spoke.

"Can you understand me?",he said.

Satima smiled,"Finally..yes! Yes I can. Thank you Garrus."

She caught herself. Garrus raised an eye at her.

"How do you..",he stopped when Shepard and the asari came in.

"Everything alright?", she asked Garrus.

"Yes..for now.",he walked off.

Satima smiled at them. Shepard noticed her sharp little teeth.

"This is Liara. She is an expert on Protheans."

_"Liara...",Satima said in thought._

Liara looked at Satima then back to Shepard. She could tell there was a slight twitch to her name when Shepard said it to Satima.

"Something wrong?",she asked Satima concerned and alarmed.

Satima faced a new problem. Liara and Garrus. In her timeline, they are different, with Liara's betrayal in the end imprinted in Satima's mind. This wasn't going to be easy.

"Is this Liara staying long?",Satima asked rudely.

"Of course she is. She's the reason we have something on the reapers and was the head of the catalyst project.",Shepard spoke.

"I am a...", Liara was cut off by Satima.

"..a researcher of Prothean culture, following their extinction from the reapers, yeah I know. Just..stay away from me. Clear?",Satima pushed past them.

Something about this wasn't right and Shepard became determined to find out why.

"What the hell is your problem?",Shepard yelled at Satima.

Satima stopped in place, she remembered to not let them figure out the real truth behind her. She faced them both with an apologetic stance.

"I am sorry Commander. I did not have a pleasant experience with asari in my past.",Satima glanced to Liara.

Convinced this was a small misunderstanding, Liara tried to calm the air. "It's alright Shepard. I can understand an apprehensiveness and culture shock. Satima, the Commander and I accept your apology." Liara nudged Shepard's shoulder, Shepard waved Satima on.

The salarian noticed Satima had here translator fixed and stopped her own the way out.

"I am pleased to know we can converse. Your blood samples have come in and I was just about to tell Shepard."

Satima panicked. Why did she submit to a test?

"Tell her what?",Satima asked nervously.

Shepard inched in on their conversation,"Yeah, tell me what."

Satima glared away and crossed her arms. Shepard stepped closer to Mordin. He pointed to his holo screen.

"Clear traces of human DNA right here. And there..is the turian DNA. Clearly remarkable, she's a hybrid of mixed species."

Shepard and Satima both exchanged glances. Shepard remembered the conversation about Satima claiming to be a Sentarian, then the ability to speak in Prothean.

"What are you?",Shepard glared cautiously towards Satima.

Satima realized the door behind her had been locked by Liara, who stood behind Shepard, her biotics slightly flaring.

"I am a Sentarian. This salarian is obviously lying or he mixed samples of other DNA accidentally.",she put a hand behind her back to the panel.

Satima could hack it open and run. This was a mistake. Shepard will find everything out then it would be over. The reapers win again and Satima gets a front row seat to how it all went down.

Seconds of silence passed then the door opened but not by Satima's hack. She turned to face Garrus. Dejavu.

Garrus noticed the tense setting, Liara's biotics and Shepard's battle stance. The small framed Satima staring at him in shock.

"Something I miss?"

Shepard put Satima in the memory core room under strict lock-down. EDI was keeping watch over the girl. Shepard paced back and forth in the battery room. Garrus listened as he calibrated the gun.

"It's all really strange. Why would she submit to a test and not realize we can find out she's lying? Everything about her spells out trouble and Illusive Man. Cerberus. I need to contact Miranda."

Garrus pressed panels while watching a ratio build in numbers on his monitor,"Have you noticed her eyes, the oddly shaped forehead and indentations on it. She hides it but I can see the features there."

Shepard stood behind him taking a loud deep breath.

"Do you think she's an experiment?"

Garrus looked up to think,"She could be?"

"Or an assassin.", Shepard replied.

Or..just maybe a girl looking for help and felt she needed to make up an elaborate tell to get it.",he replied back.

Shepard chuckled,"One hell of a story then."

Satima sat inside the small per-functionary compartment. It had a shield over it preventing her escape. Nothing new, never gets old either. A wave of pure exhaustion took hold. The past played before her closed eyes.

* * *

_She brought up NAV tools and typed the coordinates. They were going to a turian colony, one of very few planets that can support dextro life. Digeris. Once it was a small battleground between the turian and reaper forces. Zynar became a colony after the Crisis twenty-one years ago. Satima rubbed her eyes as she yawned and were still heavy from the lack of sleep._

_She turned on comms for the entire ship._

_"Listen up, we're making a stop at Zynar. Haven needs fuel and I'm well aware there isn't enough food for our small group.",she spoke loudly over the comms._

_Garrus had finished with the lock codes on the ravager. The time spent on Zynar would give him the chance to quietly leave._

_"Ok. Let me know when we arrive."_

_Passing the atmosphere and turning in orbit they landed outside the colony. Garrus had been ready to leave when Satima caught up with him._

_" Don't wonder off, I'm going to need help loading all the crates.", as she walked past him to meet with Jormun._

_Gurrus nodded. With all his concealed weapons packed he just realized that he complied to orders from a kid. She could be a natural leader is she wasn't a violent psychopath underneath. He couldn't quite figure her out. There was something about her for sure that didn't seem natural or normal. Especially her features. A humanoid body of a young girl but those strange eyes, so similar to..,he shook his head. Such oddities come and go. He doesn't have the time to bother with this one. He has only one goal in life, to kill Reaper and avenge the spirit of Shepard._

_Satima didn't trust Garrus. Even though he had been kind to her, it was all for show. She knows it. Jormun is the only person who would ever care for her, no matter what. That turian, his only intentions are for self-interest. A selfish bastard but something to admire. Jormun changed that for her. Satima used to be just like Garrus after she escaped the HIVE and became her own person with the help of Borlask. The coward. In the end.. they all fail her._

* * *

Satima woke to the shield being lowered around her. Shepard stood staring at her. It made her uncomfortable.

"I'm ready to hear your story on one condition."

"And what would that be?", Satima asked.

"That you tell me the truth.",Shepard answered.

* * *

_"Do you want me to go ahead and set up the fueling ports?",Jormun asked her._

_She looked around the colonies many markets._

_"Sure. I'll get us some food, maybe a few things.",she turned to see Garrus lagging behind purposefully._

_Jormun wondered if she was OK after what Aiden tried. In a colony full of turians? That'll work out great._

_Satima followed Jormun to the fuel port. Passing a few buildings with various provisions with outgoing and incoming goods. Garrus stopped in front of the warehouse. A large building that had a landing zone on top for smaller hover trucks. Satima could see plenty of light coming from the many windows. Jormun left inside the refueling station. Satima walked up to Garrus, curious about his sudden halt in front of the warehouse._

_"Why did you stop here?",she asked watching him stare._

_She waited to see if he'll try to slip away unnoticed. He didn't say anything._

_"Did you hear me or is my translator broken again?",she waved a hand in front of his face while tapping her ear with the other._

_Garrus gave her an angry side-glance, then grabbed her hand and put it down. He faced her._

_"Stay put.", he said sternly._

_"Why?", she glared._

_"STAY!", he pointed a taloned finger at her. An alarmed look to his turian expression._

_"Fine, I'll stay out here, but if you're gone more than ten minutes...?",she stared him down hard._

_Garrus cocked his head with a smirk,"You are a demanding little girl."_

_He walked in as Satima fumed from his comment. She is not a little GIRL!_

* * *

Shepard leaned against the railing over the core function panels. They hummed to the ships rhythm. She stared at the blue lights blinking in tune, trying not to let the emotions overwhelm her. Everything Satima said, it couldn't be true. There's no way in this galaxy it could be true! Satima sat there watching Shepard. She became a little worried about the Commander.

"Are you alright?",she finally asked.

"The...relay you came through. Those Sentarians you spoke about. Do they really know how to stop the reapers?",she wavered a bit but held firm to the rail.

"Yes.",Satima answered.

Shepard nodded and stood facing the door. "You can walk freely now.", she said to the hybrid girl.

Satima unfurled her legs and stood. She slowly approached Shepard but only watched the Commander leave. Shepard seemed in a trance as she left to the elevator and pressed the panel for her cabin. When she reached the top floor of the Normandy, the door slid open and Shepard walked out. She stopped in place and fell on her legs. Sprawled beneath her as she became almost catatonic, a mental stupor from the overwhelming amount of terrible truth she just heard. EDI observed each floor for security purposes on the Normandy. When her ship camera came upon Shepard, she contacted the one person Shepard would need.

Garrus quickly used the elevator up and found Shepard on the floor right in front of him. He knelt beside her immediately then slowed his panicking mind.

"Charlie, are you ok?",he touched her arm.

She flinched at him and looked as if reality came back to her. Her eyes told him she was in mental anguish. Garrus helped her up and to her room. There on the sofa, he sat her down gently. Sitting on the coffee table across from her watching her reaction, Shepard glanced down and let out a light breath.

"It's too much.",she spoke softly.

"Too much what?",he asked curious.

"What that girl said to me. It's just more than I can handle at this time. I have so much to fix, to stop and now she comes with all these horrible truths.",Shepard started to sound erratic.

Garrus held her arms down. She looked at him, his avian gaze making her focus on his.

"What truths? What happened when you spoke to that girl?"

Shepard gulped then calmed her demeanor. Garrus let go.

"Do you really want to know? I mean..sooner or later you will anyways.",her voice sounded shaky.

Garrus nodded and sat beside her instead. His body holding her tired frame up. Shepard leaned on him for a while then she started to speak.

"I've done or will..do something terrible, Garrus. And that girl..",she pointed behind her,"..she's the result of it."

Satima didn't want to leave the core room. It was quiet and empty. She missed Haven because of it. Sitting in the corner of the compartment wall seemed the best place to think. Shepard was shaky, unsure of herself. Satima should've never let her leave alone. The truth can be so damaging. Better it was Satima that carried it, since she lived it. Now they share it together. The past Shepard and herself.

Half an hour went by with Satima almost making a decision to walk out and explore the ship, when the door opened suddenly with Garrus storming in.

He walked up to her, face to face and in a almost growl like tone spoke. "Are all the things you told Shepard true?"

Satima never felt she should fear Garrus before. Not in her time. This Garrus seemed more unpredictable than the old one.

"Every word I spoke to her. I have no reason to lie.",she said fearful of his intentions.

Garrus backed off slowly. He glanced down to the floor.

"Then...you knew my name because we had met before or..in your future?"

Satima held her arms to herself closely,"Yes. You helped me get here. Through the relay."

Garrus rubbed his mandible and walked out. Satima bent over touching her knees feeling nauseous.

_"..step one complete..",she thought._

* * *

_Five minutes passed._

_Satima sat on a crate and watched the turian dock workers unload and load. Repeat. It seemed tedious. A life she wouldn't want. The Haven is her home, space was her yard. She kicked some rocks around sighing about the long wait. It had to have been eleven minutes when he finally emerged, dragging a smaller turian boy. Maybe sixteen, he had the exact same blue clan makings as Garrus. Satima laughed as the boy struggled but ended up falling face down in dirt. Garrus crossed his arms angrily at the kid._

_"Where's your mother?",he spoke in an authoritative tone._

_"The hell you care!",the boy spat._

_Garrus shook his head in disappointment and yanked the kid up to a standing position. The boy looked at Satima with a quick glance. That same curious stare she'd seen plenty of times before._

_"Caius you have to go home.", Garrus dusted the flinching boys back._

_Caius backed away in annoyance._

_"I can take care of myself! I'm not a kid!:, he shouted at Garrus._

_Satima could tell this was a family issue. She started to walk off._

_"Who is she? Your girlfriend?", Caius apparently didn't know when to shut up or was trying to change the subject._

_Satima turned with a smirk towards him. As she stepped closer to Caius, the boy backed up into Garrus. His eyes wide in a confused fear._

_"He wishes.",she chuckled with a wry smile._

_Cauis let out a sigh of relief when Satima walked away. Garrus dragged the boy shouting discontent to him._

_Satima wondered around the markets. She ordered crates of dextro for the Havens provisions. Garrus caught up with her, Caius in tow._

_"What the hell is he doing here?",she stared annoyed._

_"I need to drop him off.",Garrus kept a firm hold on the squirming boys arm._

_"Your family, your responsibility. If I catch him screwing up anything on my ship..",Satima stared him down._

_Garrus sighed in frustration._

_"He won't. I'll keep him with me the whole time."_

_Satima leaned back, folded arms staring at the pair,"Who is he? Your kid?"_

_Garrus's own stunned expression threw Satima off guard,"Spirits No! He's my sister's kid." Garrus couldn't decide whether to be angry or embarrassed._

_Satima shook her head,"Fine.. with my luck. Get stuck babysitting a bunch of turians."_

_She walked off mumbling to herself. Cauis looked at Garrus who had an equally annoyed stance._

_"Get to the ship Haven. It's docked and old, you can't miss it.",Garrus stared as Satima disappeared inside the refueling station._

_"..but..", the boy stammered._

_"I said, **GET. TO. THE SHIP**...NOW CAUIS!", he roared._

_Cauis stumbled backward but regained his footing, following his uncle's demand. Upset his plans to leave have been postponed due to his nephews negligence, Garrus decides to wait. After dropping off Cauis back with Sol, he'll resume his plan. Unless Satima catches him first._

* * *

Satima watched the salarian mix two liquids. He was deep in concentration.

"I heard what you are." A female voice spoke to her from the right of the room. It was the krogan female. Satima leaned on the wall.

"What about it."

"I understand loneliness when I see it. And pain.", the female said.

"What do you know of pain?",Satima scoffed.

"A great deal..young one.", the female said.

Satima walked closer to her curiously,"Tell me of your pain krogan."

The female krogan held her knees tightly and began her story.

* * *

I hope no one became confused in this chapter. I decided to change things up. Past meets present that reflects on the past again. Thank you for reading this far. More chapters to come.


	4. A soldiers Priority

_Ok..so this is a long chapter. On purpose because it is recalling the events in Priority citadel part deux. I attempted an exact retelling word for word for those that haven't played the part in a long while. Spoiler warning for those readers that have never played the games or game and especially this part in ME3. Flash backs imminent. Enjoy._

_Disclaimer:I do not own any Bioware ME related content, characters, ._

* * *

Shepard watched the monitor again. The display in front of her playing out the disturbance in the Citadel gardens. The relay monument came to life suddenly and a dark figure is thrown out. Satima staggers to her feet. Everyone is running and screaming to get away. Afraid it's another attack by the reapers or geth, dozens of C-Sec guards surround her. Their various weapons targeting her. She speaks briefly but judging her surroundings, she quickly surrenders herself.

It seemed too surreal. But if she was given a chance to stop the reapers and have time to figure out the catalyst, she'll take it. Strange story and all.

* * *

_Jormun greeted Satima at the port. She seemed more sour than lately. Jormun wished she smiled more. It was her best feature, considering the slightly scary yet stimulating sharp teeth, in a titillating way. He had to shake the thoughts or embarrassment would soon follow._

_"Hey Jormun, guess what?", she spoke in a sarcastic tone._

_Afraid to ask, Jormun reluctantly spoke,"What happened?"_

_Satima caught up to him, standing to his side. She crossed her arm with a bitter laugh._

_"Garrus has a nephew. That nephew was here and is now hitching a ride with us. Great..isn't it?",her tone dropped to extremely annoyed._

_Jormun shook his head. One Garrus was enough but two of them! How is he to compete with that? Then a thought occured to him. Nephew?_

_"So..how old is he?",he swallowed._

_"Damn teenager. I hate teenagers!", she soured her face again._

_Jormun chuckled. Satima heard it and snapped her head to him in anger._

_"What's so damn funny?"_

_"No..nothing! I just remembered that uh..you were a teenager once yourself.",he laughed._

_Satima slapped his shoulder,"Quit screwing around. We've got a long, annoying ride ahead of us."_

_She stomped off. Jormun leaned on some machinery with a hidden smile watching her leave._

* * *

Satima watched this Doctor Chakwas type on her monitor. Chakwas knew she was being peeped at by the strange alien girl. With such curious wide eyes and a furrowed brow that seemed stuck in place. It made Karin laugh inside. Satima stayed in her corner. A darker place in the med-bay to continue her observation from a small distance. Karin glanced at her and smiled.

"What is your name girl?"

Satima leaned on the wall in a standing position as she contemplated answering the human. Might as well acclimatize.

"Satima.",she answered out loud.

Karin typed a few more words for her report. Then she turned off her display and stood.

"I am Doctor Chakwas. I have been on the Normandy for quiet some time.",she smiled warmly.

Satima didn't care for smiles. Plenty of predators smile, right before they pounce. Her trust issues still remained. Karin noticed how Satima refused to smile or even acknowledge the gesture. So she decided to carefully approach her. When she reached the table Satima was standing behind, Karin spoke to her again.

"You are a very unique type of hybrid. Of course you would be the first of your kind. Tell me, how did your parents manage to..conceive you without prenatal problems?",Karin crossed her arms.

Satima gulped. Technically, she doesn't have parents. She was grown in a bio-pod. Shepard's DNA mashed with turian for all she knows, to make her. Hell! Satima doesn't even understand why. It seemed all Harbinger wanted was to mock Shepard in every way. He or IT, took her mind, her freedom and everything else in between. It wasn't fair to Satima and Shepard both, but it happened. That's one reason why Satima is here, in this timeline. To stop the Reapers, Harbinger and Cerberus. No Directive, no Satima. In a sad and poetic way, she would be committing her own suicide. Satima still felt this strange compellment to do it. Like her own ability to reason, her survival part of thinking has been..quieted down. At this moment of intense thought, Karin snapped her fingers in the girls face.

"Child are you alright? You seemed to have been in a daze."

Satima shook her head quickly and gave a curt answer,"I'm fine! Just leave me alone!"

She hurriedly left back inside the core room. Karin turned around unamused at the girls rudeness. She looked over some samples Mordin left from eight hours earlier. Karin re-tested them to possible DNA matches in the network databases. She'll get an answer one way or another.

* * *

_Haven thrummed to life, thrusters emitting their blue heat in the air. After lift off and space insertion, Satima went to see Cauis, to put out some ground rules while he was a "guest" on her ship. Garrus had kept him in sight on the cargo level. He worked in the ravager more often, a repetitive hobby that was becoming annoying to Satima. Cauis had been made to clean air filters. The young turian sat on the metal grated floor grumbling while preforming the duties his uncle forced him to do. He looked at Satima as she stood in place watching him._

_"What do you want?",he spat._

_Satima folded her arms with a cross glare,"To remind you who is in charge of this ship!"_

_Caius furrowed his plated brow, continuing the cleaning._

_"So? I can do what I want!",he tried to growl menacingly but was cut off as Garrus emerged from the vessel. He eyed the boy who quickly shut his mouth._

_"Cauis isn't going anywhere without my say and certainly not without me. He's not going to be any trouble Satima. I promise.",Garrus looked tired as he reassured the young Captain._

_Satima unfolded her arms, caught herself feeling less agitated._

_"Well..see that you do.", she quickly walked off._

_Jormun entered the cockpit. He took a seat next to Satima who was busy overlooking the NAV specs and long term range scans. Satima stretched her back, arching it perfectly while completing a scan._

_"Yes Jormun?",she replied to his stare._

_"Do you ever want to rest?",he said to her._

_Satima looked out into the black of space. Bright stars twinkled in the distance, reflecting in her dark eyes._

_"One day...maybe. When I'm not being chased, trapped or kidnapped by HIVE.",she glanced his way._

_Jormun put a three fingered hand on her shoulder. He rubbed the tense muscle as Satima leaned into his touch. He gently caressed her face with his free hand, taking care around her lips. Satima parted them to breathe deeply to this moment of intimacy. A moment quickly interrupted by Garrus._

_"Hey I just..oh. Sorry..I'll..uh..leave.",he turned around but was stopped by Jormun._

_"No it's alright. I have some..calibrating to do.",he let go of her shoulder and left hurriedly._

_Something about that comment brought a wry memory to him. He smiled at it. Satima sighed heavily and swiveled herself toward him. He stood in the entry way._

_"Yes? Is it about your nephew?",she rolled her eyes._

_Garrus still couldn't understand how he got himself wrapped up in this ship and her juvenile crew._

_"No. I found something interesting in the fighter vessel on the cargo bay. I figured since you are familiar with their ships, you could tell me what the hell it is.",he glared._

_Satima sat up and stomped to him,"Fine let's go!"_

* * *

Priority: Tuchanka was a success. The genophage cured and Wrex made Shepard an honorary krogan. He even called her sister. All this became overshadowed by the fact that Mordin died. Shepard lost not only a previous crew member but a friend.

_"My responsibility to fix. Need to save them. No more… No more dead."_

Shepard headed to her cabin. Once inside, she hastily took off her battle gear. The tight black under-suit clinging like a second skin, almost suffocating.

_"Had to be me. Someone else might have gotten it wrong."_

Those words stung bitter as Shepard watched the Shroud explode in fire and crumble to the desert below it. Somewhere in that pile, lays the mangled and burnt body of a hero. A hero to her.

She sat on the edge of her sofa, head bent down in defeat. How many? How many more will she lose to this in the name of war? Damn Reapers! They can all go to hell!

"Commander.",EDI's tech voice echoed for a second.

"..yes..",Shepard replied.

"Satima would like to speak to you."

Shepard sighed briefly."Let her in."

Minutes later Satima came through the door. Timidly walking inside the famed cabin of Commander Shepard. She passed the fish tank inbedded in the ships wall. There was one type of fish in it. It swam to her outline and stared with it's large aquatic eyes. Satima ignored it. Shepard sat on the sofas edge watching her. Satima stood in front of her.

"..Shepard. I have various tactical skills in combat.",Satima said straight forward.

Shepard raised an eyebrow,"Well that's..good to know. Why are you bringing this up?"

Satima cleared her throat,"I can fight."

They seemed to stare at each other for a moment. Shepard stood up and walked to her bed. She dropped on it, laying on her back with hands resting over stomach. Satima watched as she closed her eyes. Was she asleep? This was strange behavior. Reaper never stopped patrolling, surveying and observing the surroundings. She never once rested too long and taught Satima the same. No rest. But the Shepard in front of her did. It became oddly..relieving to see such a calm approach. A casual setting that meant relax. Satima let herself sit in the same spot Shepard occupied minutes before. Then Shepard spoke again.

"Can you follow orders in the field?"

Satima sat up. She nodded but remembered that Shepard's eyes were closed.

"Yes. I mean..it would be my first time. I will need some..guidance, if you will Commander.",Satima couldn't believe the words that left her mouth.

Her usual impetuous behavior became mature. Shepard opened her eyes.

"Ok. Next mission show me what you got. Follow my lead and don't wonder off. I'll brief my second and third for you. If you want a quick reference to how this works, go speak to Garrus. Right now, he's the only original member of the Normandy."

Satima's heart pounded.

_"Right...great idea.",Satima thought._

As she started to leave the room, Shepard turned over in her bed. A small soft whimper was heard but Satima quickly left. Reaper seemed stronger and more capable to her by the minute compared to the soft emotional Shepard. Maybe The Directives control was an improvement? Satima nodded to herself. No one should be controlled. If this Shepard felt emotional, then she had every right to be so. Satima knows well how that goes. Too well.

* * *

_In the cargo area, Caius carefully stocked the filters together. He had been quite proud of his work, until it fell in front of Garrus and Satima._

_"Wow..you really are that clumsy?",she chuckled walking past him._

_Caius started to pick up the filters again mumbling insults to her._

_Garrus opened the hatch to the ravager. They both walked in. He picked up a hexagon shaped black object and showed it to Satima._

_"I found this under the seat in a hidden compartment. Usually that would be for emergency provisions in case of a survival crash. This "thing" emitted a strong electrical wave that almost damaged my visor. Then it went dead. It's practically a paperweight now.",he turned it as the cool metal sheen reflected the dim light._

_Satima took it immediately after gasping loudly. She hurled it out of the vessel. Garrus followed with a million questions steaming in his mind. Caius watched the two emerge, Satima taking the filter case wrench and smashing the object to pieces._

_"Ok? What was that about?",Garrus asked confused._

_Satima looked up in fear,"Tracking device."_

_Garrus's eyes widened. How stupid had he gotten. Of course the enemy would stow these things in their ships._

_"Satima! We have oncoming vessels, ETA FIVE MINUTES!", Jormun's accented voice yelling the doom through Haven's comms._

_Garrus pushed past Satima to Caius,"Get your ass down in the lower level beneath the bay, don't come out until I give you the signal!"_

_"What signal?",Caius stuttered._

_"That we're not dead!",Satima shouted across the room. She ran back to the cockpit ready to maneuver Haven the hell out of the there._

_Caius reluctantly hid himself beneath the flooring. Garrus ran to the cockpit, Satima already applying lightening quick reflexes across the holo panel._

_"What is it? HIVE again?",he asked hovering over her._

_"I'm not sure. It's fast and approaching our location ..you have my full permission to take the ravager and Caius to safety. They won't follow you.",she looked up at him in concern._

_"I'm not abandoning ship just yet.",he smirked._

_An odd feeling of relief came to Satima. Why should it matter? It had always been her and Jormun. Why does this turian, Garrus, make her feel..safe? Suddenly two HIVE dreadnoughts appeared using ultra-light FTL. If only Satima could get her hands on it for Haven. They overshadowed the small ship, hunters finding their prey. A comm channel opened._

_"Greetings again Satima. I hope your journey has been a pleasant one? Making friends and seeing the wonderful sights this galaxy has to offer but now..now Satima, it's time to come home."_

_The droid voice that sent chills down her spine delivered his message. With the Haven cornered, what was she supposed to do?_

* * *

Satima stood outside the battery room door. Beyond that, would be a blast from the past. Garrus is always serious, broody and in her time, a bit of a drunk. Could still put a bullet between a pyjacks eyes while stumbling. As she reminisced the door slid open. Garrus bumped into her and dropped a data pad.

"Spirits kid!",he said aloud.

It made her cringe. He would say that to her on Haven. A lot.

"Apologies Garrus. I was beginning to open the door. I have a question to ask you?"

Garrus picked up the data pad and stood waiting for her question. He seemed less impatient than future Garrus.

"Ahem. Commander Shepard has asked that you help me understand how to follow orders in a squad while on a mission. She has consented to me accompanying the next one.",Satima finished.

She felt pretty confident except for the puzzled look on his face. Satima looked down. This seemed a mistake. Back to the core room. As she turned around a taloned hand touched her shoulder quickly, she turned to it.

"Listen kid. We haven't been properly acquainted. Maybe after you tell me a little bit about yourself, then we can talk about missions.",his low fatherly like tone put her mind at ease.

But talk to him! About what? Her favorite color? Satima felt confused.

"Umm..I'm a little confused. What exactly do we talk about?"

Garrus's serious manner turned to a pure comical state. He laughed enough to draw the looks of other Normandy crew but stopped himself shortly after.

"I mean, tell me about your skills. What are your strengths? Weaknesses? The like. And maybe later we can have some tea.",he sniggered.

Satima stood feeling absolutely stupid as he brushed past her into the mess area. She turned to follow him and spoke in a hushed tone. "I knew that."

At the table, Garrus held a cup of dextro coffee as Satima seated herself on the opposite side. He sipped two times and stared at her.

"Are you gonna talk?",he asked annoyed.

Satima wanted to leave this horrid ship. No one knew her. She knew no one (except Garrus), this was all very uncomfortable. And she definitely couldn't say she knew Shepard. Reaper and Shepard were polar opposites. Galaxy hero versus Anti-hero psycho. Satima stopped thinking. Garrus sat there still giving the young girl a chance to speak. The amount of fear that came off of her clouded his judgement. She could be a really nice person or a maniac. Either way, she needed to adjust and relax.

Satima opened her mouth to finally speak.

* * *

_"They are over-riding the VI system. The docking hatch has been breached,...Satima..they are on board.",Jormun's terrified voice echoed around them._

_Satima stood up and turned with Garrus to see Cyber and dread soilders standing directly behind them. Satima's heart dropped._

_"I hope you don't mind me letting myself in?", Cyber smiled wickedly to her._

_They were all led down to the cargo bay. Cyber stood in front of the ravager vessel. He motioned for a dread soldier to come forward. The soldier went inside the fighter, second's passed and he came out dragging Caius. Garrus shook his head. The boy either tried to escape or wanted to fight. He didn't listen and now they have to work some kind of agreement to free him. Jormun stood next to Satima, he brushed the side of her back quickly. She noticed his gesture to calm couldn't do the same for him. Cyber paced in front of them, stopping at Satima._

_"Why do you resist the HIVE Satima? We only want to help you advance further in your training.",he tried to sound sincere._

_There was nothing sincere in that twisted AI's mind._

_"Oh you know what they say. You can never go home again.",she crossed her arms, leaning her leg to seem unamused._

_Cyber laughed at her comment._

_"But you can. Satima..you know there is no escape this time."_

_Satima smirked,"Yeah, I figured that minutes ago. So that's why I rigged Haven to blow."_

_Cyber stopped pacing and leaned to her menacingly,"I have control of your VI system."_

_**"Two minutes to self destruct.",the VI echoed in the comms.**_

_"Yes you did but I pre-programmed the VI to self destruct should a successful hacking attempt take control of the ships basic functions.",she smiled wryly._

_Garrus raised an eyebrow. Good thing he focused on manipulating the ravager and not Haven. Satima was a sly girl._

_Cyber became furious and hit her hard on the face. Satima backed away but stood her ground laughing._

_"For all your advanced knowledge, you are pretty stupid."_

_**"One minute and thirty five seconds to self destruct."**_

_Cyber turned to a dread soldier then back to Jormun. He shoot Jormun in the gut. Satima ran to him holding his side. The colored blood pooled through her hand. Caius had a gun to his head next. Garrus prepared to charge. He didn't have a weapon but he was no amateur when it came to using his body as one. Satima looked up and saw what could happen next. She sent a signal to relay off a nearby com-bouy with the sequence to stop the self destruct program. Then she made a decision._

_"I'll..go with you. If..IF you promise to leave them alone.",her voice heavy with emotion._

_"No Satima.",Jormun pleaded to her._

_Cyber calmed and withdrew the gun,"That's all I ever asked you to do."_

_Satima signaled Garrus to help Jormun. Caius was let go and ran to his uncle's side. Satima slowly stood, dread soldiers grabbing her arms as she looked at Jormun with a smile. They bound and gagged her, dragging her off the Haven. The dreadnoughts withdrew as the comm buoy signaled back the sequence much to Garru's relief. He re-hacked the ship back to normal functions. Despite what he felt, if he didn't get Jormun to a clinic soon, the boy would die. Caius's mother would have to pick him up there. Solanna is going to kill him._

* * *

Garrus finished his first round of coffee. This girl sounded beyond dangerous but then again, to fight reapers you needed to be.

"Besides the basic hand to hand and blades. I had received training in pistols recently.",Satima sat talking until she was interrupted.

Shepard came in dressed in her normal military uniform.

"We're heading back to the citadel. Received a message from the salarian councilor.",she looked at Garrus,"Seemed troubled. He thinks Udina is dirty. Like it was a surprise."

Garrus got up and laughed out loud," So he has concerns that Councilor Udina is a potential security risk? No surprise indeed Shepard!"

Shepard turned around to Satima. Who was still sitting at the table.

"Satima your up this mission. Should be slow but easy for you to get a handle on things. Got it?"

Satima sat up hiding the excitement building up inside.

"I'm ready.",she exclaimed.

* * *

_Hades Nexus_

_A medical station in the Hades Nexus was his destination. He hoped she would help him having been years since he last seen her or even talked to her. She still holds a grudge and the truth might make her resentful._

_Haven docked at The Athame Memorial Medical Station. Since the loss of Thessia, so many asari were uprooted with no homes and barely enough standing colonies. Many were injured or dying from the war before Crisis. Though other species were welcomed to medical and mental care, asari recovery was still the main agenda._

_Once docked they proceeded inside the station. Scanned by a bio-field and checked for weapons they stopped at an information kiosk. Garrus used a terminal and a asari came on-screen. Her skin was a light powder blue with some hints of darker hues due to age. She had a trusting smile, her eyes told otherwise._

_"Garrus? Is that you?,the asari asked shocked._

_Garrus cleared his throat,"Nice to see an old friend again."_

_The asari woman put a data pad down,"I'm coming to get you."_

_The station looked beautiful. It even had live plants blooming with colorful flowers. They looked exotic and wild. The walls were a blue metal with a glossy sheen. Glass doors that frosted over when closed to provide privacy to each ward and room._

_The double doors opened to the rehab wing._

_"Garrus, I can't believe it's you!", the asari wrapped her arms around him._

_He hesitantly gave her a light hug. Garrus turned to Jormun._

_"We need your help. It involves HIVE.", he waved her over to him._

_The asari gestured him to stop with her hand._

_"No need to tell me. I'll help you and your friend. Come here dear.", she said warmly._

* * *

"Cerberus has attacked and partially taken over the station, particularly C-Sec Headquarters. We need to clear out the bastards to get to the men inside. Satima, stay behind me.",Shepard shouted in the shuttle.

Satima nodded and held her pistol tight. She was nervous. Not because of Cerberus, she's fought bigger. But because they were watching her. If she messed up or got cocky they wouldn't trust her again. That trust means the difference between stopping the reapers or dying by them.

The shuttle quickly hovered over the C-Sec docking hub for their patrol cars. Several guards stood their ground at the entrance to the C-Sec HQ. Many were shot down as the team leap out and took cover. Shepard took point, leading the way down the alley style walkway.

"Watch out for snipers!",she yelled to them on the comms.

Garrus seemed in another world. He heard his commanders voice and obeyed but was more in a hurry to reach the entrance and the remaining guards. Cerberus soldiers ranged from typical ground fodder to those crouched behind a massive shield. It prevented the penetration of bullets to their bodies. Shepard had gotten annoyed quickly by it. She turned to Garrus who already seemed to know what she was thinking. Those shields had a small open window, a peep hole for the trooper to look through. Garrus brought out his mantis and showed his expert skill in three seconds.

"One down!",he shouted in excitement.

Satima watched them fight. She had to admit, it brought a chill to her spine. Both deadly and very skilled, these seasoned veterans of war cut a bloody swath between them and their foes in this uphill battle. Mainly Cerberus. Approaching the middle of the walkway, a lone engineer stood in front of assault troopers. He let out a wide grin and hastily set down a square metal pod. It quickly transformed into a turret.

"GET DOWN!",Shepard screamed.

Several multiple round shots fired towards them. Satima almost got grazed. Garrus fired two proximity mines around it to bring down the shields. They barely nudged it. He then took a chance by standing in the open and using his overload skill on the machine. It worked. Shepard stood up and fired hard on the turret. Within a minute it exploded around a few troopers. In that explosion, Garrus used the advantage to move closer, firing on them. Another fell to his bullets.

As Satima provided suppression fire so Shepard could move forward, the lone blonde human at the entrance screamed in pain. He had been shot in the gut. Not a good place to receive a wound. If they reach him in time, maybe they could stop the bleeding. Shepard yelled for him to hold on as five more troopers landed in front of them, blocking the way. Garrus shot two of them before having to duck to reload.

Satima saw from the corner of her right eye three more troopers silently flanking the man at the entrance. Even if they manage to quickly dispatch the other soldiers, that guy was seriously doomed. There would be no time to debate, Satima left the field leaving Shepard and Garrus's back open. She had to get to them first or that man was dead.

Satima quietly ran in the exact direction of the three soldiers. She hugged the lower wall while crouching. Staying closely behind for the right moment to attack. They surrounded the man and laughed at him.

"Well Commander Bailey, looks like your usefulness is up. Time to die.",the leader of the group said.

Bailey clutched his side trying to hold the wound from pooling out anymore blood but it seemed it wouldn't matter anyway. If Shepard didn't get up those steps quick, he's a dead man.

As the leader was about to pull the trigger to Bailey's head, he stretched in horror and dropped his rifle. Grabbing at the back of his head and falling over motionless. There was a seven inch blade imbedded in his skull. The other two fired at Satima who dodged the bullets taking cover. She took a deep breathe, emerged from her cover and shot each one in the head perfectly. Bailey let out a long whistle.

"Thanks kid. I would've been kissing my mother in heaven or hell, he-he, if you hadn't been here.",he thanked her leaning against the wall.

Shepard and Garrus ran up the steps to see Bailey was alright. Shepard knelt down to him to administer some medi-gel. They exchanged words and glances to Satima while Garrus observed the dead troopers.

"Nice job. But next time, warn us when your about to go in assassin mode.",he gave her a slight glare before returning to Shepard's side.

Satima's heart raced as Garrus spoke. He wasn't to pleased but impressed. She'll take it. Now if Shepard approves, then it was a good day.

Bailey sat for another minute to let the medi-gel sink in his wound and soothe the sore flesh. He looked at the strange alien girl then back at Shepard.

"Thanks Shepard for saving my ass.",he laughed bitterly from his wounded side.

"No problem Bailey. What happened here?",she asked sitting on one leg.

"Damn Cerberus that's what happened! We had no warning. It just..happened! A few of my men and I tried to stop it but..you can see how that worked out.",he glanced around the dead.

Shepard nodded sympathetically and stood up. She turned around to Satima who was looking over the small battle scene she took part of. The three dead Cerberus soldiers in a row. One had a blade in his skull lying face down.

"Satima..you did this?",Shepard asked her.

Satima nodded.

"It took you under forty seconds to take them down. See if you can strive for twenty-five next time.",Shepard slapped Satima's back.

Good day indeed.

Bailey led them inside. He sat at the front desk accessing the terminal.

"Damn.",he said.

Shepard leaned over the edge of the counter.

"What's wrong?"

Bailey clutched his side but continued his typing with one hand.

"The salarian councilor has taken refuge in the executor's office. You'll need directions to it."

Beginning their recon inside the damaged building, two Assault Troopers across the hall had their backs to them. The perfect moment for surprise. Shepard used a biotic power and lashed them hard. It took down one of them easily. The other turned shouting while firing his weapon. He became silent as a blade entered his chest. Satima walked over casually taking out her blade. Shepard watched her then suddenly the shield wielding soldiers, named guardians, began firing at them. Taking cover, Garrus used his mantis again. Shepard shot the other one with a red dangerous looking pistol. It had a white alien skull on it.

Satima envied that pistol for those few seconds. They pushed on ahead only to meet another turret. Garrus used overload with Shepard shooting it into metal slag. Satima rushed around a corner to take point in case of anymore surprises. Further up the stairs, they passed a terminal and some mod kits. Shepard picked one up to examine it. She attached it to her rifle with a smile. Deeper in the room four more troopers ascended from the ceiling. Crashing down around them. Shepard fired on them. Garrus took cover again and once more used his mines to surround them. Satima fired along with Shepard. It wasn't long before they all fell dead.

In front of a work desk laid a female C-SEC cop. Facing downward on the floor with a red pool of blood around her head.

"Inside job, like Mars. Cerberus sure likes their sleeper agents.",Shepard said in controlled anger.

"Looks more like a surprise than an execution. These are hardcore traitors here in C-Sec Shepard.", Garrus started to fume in disgust.

"Keep it together Garrus. You can revenge on the bastards when they attack, deal?",she looked at him as his commanding officer more than his lover.

They exchanged glances before he broke his glare."Alright Commander." His tone sounded more calm, dangerously calm.

Once they cleared another room of centurions and one guardian, Garrus ran inside a mens room finding another C-Sec agent's corpse. Shepard followed close behind with Satima in tow.

"Cerberus didn't even bother to drag him into the hall before killing him.",Garrus's angry glare burned through them both.

Satima began to worry. This was the angry out-of-control Garrus she had seen before. It ended with him and Reaper fighting to the death before Satima stopped them from tearing her ship apart.

Garrus rushes out to lead the way to the next room. An intercom goes off. One lone engineer is attempting to destroy the elevator controls. Shepard begins to sneak under the broken window to stop him but Garrus jumps over the window seal. The engineer turns around to being body slammed into the wall. Garrus takes a hit but delivers a more powerful one knocking the engineer down. He tries to get away but is stopped dead from a gunshot to the head. Garrus opens the latch to the elevator controls and the door slides open. As he jumps back over the window, Shepard stands in his way.

"That's enough Vakarian.",her body is an immovable wall.

Garrus looks her up and down while pacing in anger, "You saw what Cerberus did! He didn't deserve any mercy!"

Shepard shook her head," That isn't what I'm talking about. He deserved what you gave him but I need you to get your shit together. I know you're angry. I am too but this is not the time to play Archangel. Got it!",she yelled at him.

Garrus sighed and nodded,"Yes..Commander."

Shepard moved to him and touched his arm gently. She glanced to Satima who was watching the whole scene intently. Satima looked away in embarrassment. With a slight _"ahem"_ clearing the air. The team proceeded forward in the elevator.

During the ride up, Shepard's intercom opened. It was Bailey.

"Shepard. Any survivors?"

"No Bailey. Cerberus planted sleeper agents. No one had a chance.",she glanced to Garrus.

He busied himself with his mantis.

"Damn. Alright Shepard. I know you're doing everything you can.",Bailey shut off the com.

The next area was empty. One door tried to open but shut itself quickly. Satima walked over to the damaged panel. Shepard found some useful items as Garrus stared around in memory.

_"Ouch."_, Satima said under her breath.

The panel sparked on her hand. It was too badly damaged to repair. She took a look around the room next to it. A terminal labeled_ "door control"_ was left on. She pressed a holo button and the malfunctioning door opened. Shepard watched this young girl rummage, hack and work her way through this damaged area. It seemed second nature to scavenge for her.

Garrus found an opened com channel. It had static on the other end but he wanted to try to find someone still alive.

"Lamont!...",he yelled.

Other names were shouted over the dead comms. Shepard told him to be quiet since Cerberus was around every corner.

"If they can't hear our gunfire, they can't hear this.",he yelled again.

Shepard looked at him annoyed but left him alone. Garrus threw the com across the room. Satima felt sorry for him. He lost his friends to betrayal. Something she knew about too.

They finally reached the Executor's Office. Two preoccupied Cerberus soldiers, this time executing a C-Sec sleeper agent who had ceased to be useful, stood in the entry way. Shepard nodded to Garrus's sniper rifle. She took one out as well. Together they dropped them both. Satima stood impressed. Once through the cafe area, Cerberus soldiers flooded the room. Weapons fire pinging off the surface of walls and shattering any remaining glass doors or windows. Satima ran, taking cover to a set of stairs leading downward in the middle of the room. She used this cover to prevent troopers from flanking Shepard. Garrus swapped his mantis for the M-76 Revenant. He smiled at the site of a beautifully dangerous weapon. Peaking from cover, he pressed the trigger letting the rounds burst in a spray of bullets, raining instant death on any Cerberus scum that crossed its path.

Shepard ducked behind the walls of the cafe, hearing a woman's voice broadcast from the T.V to her right. It was Khalisah al-Jilani. She was apparently covering C-Sec's attempt to reclaim the comm towers. Looping her footage to contact other C-Sec for reinforcements. Shepard hoped it worked for them. At this moment the councilor would be her main concern. Especially if this was some type of coup attempt. She needed the evidence and the villain.

The last trooper fell clearing the area of any hostiles. They quickly ran up the stairs, opened the door to the office, only to find the executor dead.

"What a surprise.",Garrus said unamused.

"Bailey, it looks like they got the executor and two if his bodyguards.",Shepard reported to Bailey.

"Damn. Alright keep searching. If you don't see the councilors body, don't count him out yet."Bailey returned the com call.

Shepard and Garrus catch a slight disturbance in the cafe below. A chair is moved on its own. It's the councilor! He was under cloak the whole time.

"Look!",she yelled.

Garrus hoisted his rifle over his shoulder to mockingly laugh,"Little bastard.",he said.

"Found him. He looks unharmed.",she reported once more to Bailey.

"Get him somewhere safe!",Bailey replied to her.

Satima felt relieved this councilor was alive still. At least he had the intellect to hide. Garrus turned around to leave the office for the councilor, Shepard continued to look out the office window. She turned her back to wave Satima over to her. In the distance on a beam, Satima spotted a dark figure landing silently. He jumped down surprising the councilor and herself! Shepard watched Satima's surprised look. She looked behind her out the window to see the ominous figure slowly approaching the councilor. Shepard shot the window out and jumped down from it. The apparent assassin leaped over the councilor standing behind him, trying a biotic attack on him. Shepard walked to them cautiously targeting the assassin with her rifle.

"Don't even think about it.",her tone resolute and stern.

The councilor speaks in a frightened hushed tone,"Shepard, he's going to kill us all!"

"That remains to be seen.",she replied still targeting the assassin.

Satima and Garrus quietly come down the stairs to help Shepard.

"No! I mean Udina! He's staging a coup and has the other councilors now. To hand over to Cerberus!",the councilor held his hands in the air.

_"Shit.",Shepard thought._

Garrus along with Satima point their weapons toward the assassin. Shepard raised an eye in apparent victory.

"Three on one pal.",she says in assurity," It's over."

The assassin grins at her," No. Now it's fun."

The sound of a pistol priming brings the assassins attention to a drell behind him. Shepard whispers _"Thane"_ to herself.

Thane points the weapon firmly towards the assassins head. They begin their melee battle of martial arts. The hand to hand battle becomes intense for a few seconds with the assassin quickly grabbing Thane and throwing him over his shoulder to the ground. With Thane immediately getting back up and firing his pistol at the assassin. He disappears. Satima tries to back out quietly to find him. After all, she was trained for this sort of fight, not for a team battle. The assassin uncloaks behind Thane and pulls out a small katana. Close quarters combat blade. He charges toward Thane, who starts firing his weapon at him again. The assassin dodges, ducking behind desks and leaping around the team. He confronts Thane with a fast strike of his blade. Thane dodges it expertly delivering powerful kicks and one swift biotic blow. He knocks the assassin backwards across the room. Thane stoops down to pick up his pistol, cocking a fresh thermal clip. He points the weapon back towards the assassin.

Satima watches, hoping to learn something from this aged master assassin. That young amateur hasn't a prayer. Shepard and Garrus keep a close eye on the scene while protecting the councilor. She has no doubt Thane can take care of this assassin. Then the unthinkable happens.

The assassin back flips back on his legs. He charges at Thane who equally charges with firing his pistol. The assassin makes a strike stance, forcing Thane to leap up with a killing blow. But the assassin tricks Thane and plunges his katana through him. Thanes drops his pistol gripping the hilt of the katana over the assassins deadly grip. Thane falls to the floor, the assassin skillfully sheathing his blade in victory.

"Thane!", Shepard shouts.

She opens fire on the assassin who leaps down the stairs to the bottom and runs to a waiting hover car. Shepard hot on his heels. Shepard fires more rounds watching him escape. The severely injured Thane comes from behind firing his weapon alongside her before leaning against the wall as his strength wains. Shepard runs to him.

"How bad is it?",she asks worried.

Thane coughs,"I have time. Catch him."

Shepard's omni-tool lights up to her incoming com call. It's Bailey.

"Shepard? What's going on?"

"Thane needs medical help fast, and I need to take care of an assassin.", she grips Thanes hand while informing Bailey.

"He must be going after the rest of the council. Catch him Shepard before it's too late!",Bailey sounded more than worried.

If the council went down, the citadel goes with it.

Shepard walks to a hover car,"Get the word out. Udina is trying to seize power. I've got to get to the councilors."

Garrus and Satima follow down the stairs behind Shepard. Satima glances at the dying drell. That could have been her if she decided to step in.

"They're being taken to a shuttle pad on the Presidium. Start driving, I'll try to raise them on ...make it there fast.",Bailey closed his comms.

* * *

_Garrus hung out for a bit in the medical wing waiting for news of Jormun's recovery. Caius played on his omni-tool until a familiar voice echoed in the lobby._

_"I new I couldn't trust you." It was Solanna. She had a hand on her left hip, glaring straight to Garrus. He sat up from the lounging chair._

_"Look Sol, I found him on Digeris. He was trying to stow away to another alliance vessel.",he stood up pointing at the boy._

_Solanna sighed walking to him. She gave Garrus a light head nudge._

_"Thank you for keeping him safe.",her tone sounding sad._

_He could see a worry plate forming in the middle of her forehead. Poor Sol hasn't had a decent break since her mate died. Good turian man, better father, taken too soon. Garrus barely had enough time to know the man. A shame._

_"Caius go and wait for me in the hover car, please son.", she waved him to the balcony outside the building._

_Solanna faced Garrus again._

_"It's nice to see you alive Garrus. When are you ever coming home?"_

_Garrus looked away in slight irritation._

_"You know there is no home to go back to."_

_Solanna nodded her head in understanding. She squeezed his arm,"Forgive the past Garrus. You only have so much time with your family."_

* * *

Priority Citadel-Part two.

Satima sat behind Shepard as she drove the hover car pursuing the assassin.

"I got a fix on the councils position. I'm sending it to your car.",Bailey informs Shepard through her omni-tool.

"Good work Bailey. We're almost there.",Shepard passes by empty damaged shops.

At that moment, the assassin drops on the cars hood looking straight at Shepard. She begins to shoot through the glass shield as he wields his katana and casually leaps over the hood to the engine core. Shepard opens the door, leaning out firing at him while Garrus takes the controls. The assassin blocks her gunshots with a quick shield and jams his katana in the engine causing it to emergency shut down. Shepard watches his smug demeanor as he hops inside a hover car escaping once again. Her hover vehicle begins to crash. Garrus tries to land it without to much injury.

Shepard gets back inside the hove car and takes over. Crash landing in a lobby courtyard. She rushes out limping followed by Garrus and Satima.

Garrus walks to her,"Are you ok?"

Shepard brushes him off,"I'm fine."

Satima uses her own omni-tool, Sentarian design, to check them both. They are OK.

"Shepard! My terminal says your car has stopped?",Baileys voice blares over a screaming woman running for safety.

"I'm on foot now. Any luck contacting the councilors?",she shoots down a trooper.

"Negative, their guards are dead. But we still got vital signs on the councils transponders.",he informs her.

Shepard opens fire on a squad of Cerberus soldiers. Garrus snipes two down.

"Where are they going?",Shepard asks Bailey.

"The plaza. Udina's with them. I hope you can get to them. Shepard if he can get in them in range of that assassin..this is all over.",Bailey turns off his com.

"On my way.",Shepard responds.

Satima shoots a trooper sneaking around them. Then she spots something in the distance that reflected the light.

"Did any of you see that?",she asks.

Shepard looks hard to see a new type of Cerberus soldier uncloaking and charging her way. It was female and wielded a katana like the assassin.

"Watch out, it can cloak.",she yells.

Three more troopers were dropped off by a shuttle. Shepard shot them down.

"Snipers!",Garrus yelled.

Red lasers pinpointed around them. A high-pitched whine coming from the primed weapon across the broken railed walkway. Shepard took cover on the wall. Garrus used his mantis in turn making quick work of the sniper. "One down",he said. Satima leaped over the walkway, Shepard and Garrus followed. She heard a rustle behind one of the few hover cars sitting idle. Shepard powered ahead, taking precautions behind every new turn. At that moment a phantom uncloaked in front of Shepard. Leaping away from her weapons fire. "They don't like to hold still, do they?",Garrus quipped while firing his rifle. Shepard threw a lift grenade ahead of the phantom who landed next to it. It exploded hot shrapnel into the body armor of the would be assassin. She fell forward dead with a moan. Satima checked her weapon, picking it up and attaching it to her armors magnetic cling system. She had her smaller blades but the katana could come in handy.

Ahead a trooper came out trying to hit Shepard with is taser baton. Satima threw a blade at his chest, ending it. "They sealed it behind them!", Garrus shouted noticing the door in front was locked tight. It could take to long to hack through. Shepard sees a opening through a balcony of flowers and grass. A small lawn that led to a keeper walkway. The metal bridge was broken in half, blazing with fire between the jump point. Shepard ran fast successfully leaping over it. Garrus and Satima came from behind. They continued their short trek to the other side of the presidiums many shops.

Satima fell behind upon noticing a slight distortion of space in the darkened hall. Shepard and Garrus soldiered on. Gun fire echoed from their location. With closer inspection, Satima knelt in front of the tiny singularity. It dissipated as quickly as it appeared. She shrugged her shoulders. There was no time to investigate. Shepard needed her help with this council and that assassin first. As she began to stand, a heavy metal hand grabbed her, swinging her hard against the grated floor. Picked up by her hair, she was slammed face first into it. Dazed, Satima looked up to see a horrifying figure from her possible future.

"Hello Satima.", Cyber glared with his neon blue eyes at her. Satima quickly moved back. Standing with her katana in hand and a pistol in the other. Cyber chuckled loudly. "You know, it was very hard to find Tarhone. She resisted my abilities of course but in the end...I won.", his cybernetic vocals echoed.

"Did you kill her?",Satima asked already knowing the answer.

Cyber smiled,"...you know I did..."

Satima screamed at him in a short rage before lunging towards him. The katana hitting his chest merely scraping the surface. Cyber knocked her sideways to the edge of the bridge. She looked below her. As he made his way to her, Satima held her katana close and rolled off the edge. Cyber growled in anger. She fell far before landing on a hover car. The glass windows shattering at her sudden stop. A force of heavy weight that also bowed out the door. Satima laid there. Time seemed to slow as she tumbled off the hood onto the glossy floor below. Red blood smeared her nose. She could taste its metallic palette. Her armor registering many injuries to her omni-tool, Satima found her two middle fingers were broken. The hand she had used the pistol with. Wherever it might me. Setting the katana down, Satima took a deep breath and pulled both fingers hard to set them straight. She yelled loudly, only whimpering for a second. The pain will have to wait. Around her shops blazed on fire, people screamed and gunfire masked out any sounds from enemies. Cyber could be anywhere.

Satima contined to cautiously walk through the chaos. The katana in her grasp with her good hand, she checked every corner. In a souvenir shop, a glass bottle filled with green sand rolled in front of her. She readied herself but there was no one there. Cyber landed quietly behind her. When she turned Cyber greeted her with a hit in the gut. He grabbed her throat and lifted her body in the air. Satima's feet sqirmed for a foot holding as she struggled for air against his grip.

"I had hoped to bring you back in one piece. But if you continue to press this fighting issue, then I guess you'll come along as a broken husk.",he roared at her.

Satima widened her eyes in adrenaline, taking her useless katana and piercing him through his left eye. A simple over looked piece of his design. He dropped her. Satima coughed and fled. Running away not because she was afraid of him but only because he is much stronger. Able to take her out of the whole scenario before she could even help Shepard defeat the reapers. Cyber followed close behind in rage. He knocked glass out of any remaining whole windows, kicking debris in his way to the side. Some even at Satima. Finally she stood cornered facing a tightly shut door. Cyber loomed behind her. Satima had no choice but to fight with her bare hands. She leaped at him, delivering two blows to his metal face. Cyber stepped back from the heavy onslaught. Satima tried to block his counter strike. He hit her arm breaking it and kicking her pelvis. Satima went down on her belly. She crawled away from him, gasping from the pain. Blood staining her face in streaks. Cyber put a hefty boot on her back. "And now..my dear Satima. It's time to end this."

Satima waited for the crushing blow but was surprised at how long it took. A struggle was heard. She turned her head to see Cyber being pulled back through a singularity rift. He tried to grab her eventually disappearing completely. Alarms blared distantly as she dropped her head unconscious.

* * *

_Solanna walked out of the lobby. Garrus felt a wave of emotions trip him to the chair. He sat hard covering his face. If only he could forgive..a hard lesson he'll take to his grave. It's bad enough his sister took out a small flask, primitive in it's design. A human years ago, gave it to him on a colony. Since then he liberally filled it with turian whiskey, for when the feelings and the memories rush back too fast. Filling his mind with too much doubt, he could always turn to drink. It numbed him enough to sleep. He laid back down thinking he could finally get some shut-eye. He needed his strength to rescue Satima. The sliding door to the lobby opened, Liara walked in. Less chipper and more cold than earlier._

_"So I see you haven't stopped drinking?". Liara raised an eye at him._

_She walked in and sat on a chair. Garrus leaned out of his._

_"So. Sometimes I can control it. It's my life Liara. I'll do what is best for me.", he looked out the lobby window to watch a few asari patients walking in the garden._

_"I know you a lot better than you think. You still drink when you dream. You also drink when the year comes up.", she sighed._

_Liara crossed her legs. She folded her hands over her eyed his edgy demeanor._

_"Liara just let me rest. I'll give some explanation later." Garrus laid back over the chairs, putting a hand over his face._

_Liara looked down and nodded, she left him alone. Even though she walked out and a peaceful silence fell in the room, Garrus couldn't sleep anyway._

_HIVE Experimental Labs:Hot Labs._

_Chamber Eleven._

_Satima woke grogedly. The room seemed dim, the familar black walls gave off an errie feeling. She tried to move her body. Her legs worked but it felt like there was no floor. Satima realized she was dangling from chains overhead. There is a floor but the tip of her toes could barely reach it. Striped down to her skivies, cold and afraid. HIVE does that often. It's a mental exercise, she knows it. But with Cyber in charge instead of Reaper, what is the real plan? What does Satima have to fear now? A door opens in the far corner. Two scientists wonder in. They set up a table with various intruments of medical use for her to see. Some were injectors. Cyber walks in, grabbing one. He paces behind Satima. The scientists ignore him and her as they set up a monitor with holo grids._

_Cyber takes the tip of the sharp needle, touching her back with it. It grazes across the skin as she winces from a slight irritation. He walks around to face her. Cyber leers closer._

_"It is time for your medicine.",he gives her a one sided smile._

_Satima gulps but doesn't cry for help. That would be useless. All she can do is hope for another way out or a quick death. The first being more preferable._

_Cyber jams the injector into her neck as she shouts in pain. The room becomes dizzy._

* * *

Satima wakes abruptly in pain. Her nightmares giving her a start to where she was. Dizzy, she propped her body on all fours, trying to stand. Her suites functions sending a slew of injury updates by the minute. Arching her back Satima forced her body to stand. ".ahh..",she moaned in pain. There was a half broken bench looking out to a garden below. Most of it was on fire too. Satima sat gently wincing in pain. She didn't know how long she was out or if Shepard saved the council in time. The fact Cyber came through a portal rift tore a whole in her plans. He could come anytime, in any place. Even the Normandy. A sound of scuffling feet alerted her. Coming out of the sealed door were two asari women. They held hands shaking with fright. As soon as they saw Satima, one of them ran to her. "By the goddess are you alright? Delina look at her!",the asari hovered over Satima.

Delina walked over timidly to have a look. "I'll call for an ambulance." Satima waved her hand,"NO..no. I mean, I'm Ok. Just give a message for this coded number." Satima sent the code to Delina who took off to a non-damaged terminal.

Much did happen while Satima laid unconscious. Shepard did get to the council in time. The assassin was no where to be found. He deleted all footage of his presence. A ghost. Bailey congratulated Shepard on saving the council. She was just happy she didn't have to put down a friend.

"We looked over every centimeter of those tunnels Shepard. Your Cerberus pal is made out of smoke and mirrors.", Bailey tried to settle himself in his chair.

"He likes to fight. He'll show up again.",Shepard was sure in that.

"Pardon me if I'm not reassured by that.",Bailey spoke in sarcasm. That assassin had him on edge with the council demanding better security. He'll probably end up holding one of their hands so they can squat in their luxury bathroom. Bailey shuddered at the thought. Returning to his original conversation,"We can't even get an ID on him. He released a VI into the citadel system that erased all footage of him wherever he went. I guess he didn't trust that Udina's plan would come together."

Shepard smirked at that. Udina was always a pretentious selfish bastard. From day one. She wished she would've seen Anderson deck him those few years ago in the beginning. Worth the wait on Saren.

Bailey proceeded with his debriefing of the current events. "That reminds me-we got your friend Thane to Huerta Memorial. He's in for surgery. Apparently there's uh..complications."

Shepard unfolded her hands from behind her back. "Do you think he'll make it?"

Bailey looks off to the side in thought,"I caught that they didn't have much drell blood on the citadel. I notified his next of kin, his son Kolyat. He was the right blood type but I don't know if he made it in time. We're pretty sure the route to the hospital is safe from Cerberus. If you want to see him, I'd go now."

Shepard makes a weak smile," Thanks Bailey, I'll get on it."

Before Shepard starts to leave Bailey speaks again. "You can tell him the salarian councilor thinks he's a hero. Just to...I don't know, make things easier for him."

Shepard nods and walks out the door. She walks down the stairs heading for the elevator when Khalisah al-Jilani starts shouting at her."Commander Shepard! Commander, the people of the Alliance have questions."

Shepard begrudgingly approaches her.

"Commander Shepard! Isn't true you were on earth when the reapers attacked?", Khalisah pointed her finger in Shepard's face in a accusing manner. "How do you justify running away while millions of people on earth are dying? Is that the best we can expect from the Alliance?"

Shepard rubs her temples in frustration. This has to end. People need hope not smear jobs on the very people who are trying to save them.

"I came to get help for earth. For everyone.", she glared at Khalisah.

Khalisah blurted more angry words back at her."What about all the people suffering while you play politics with the council? What about them?", she looked down with sad eyes. "How can you stand there while our families die? What are you going to do?" Her voice started to break from obvious hidden emotions.

Shepard put a hand on her shoulder with sympathy,"Khalisah, we're doing everything we can."

Khalisah didn't flinch or budge. She stood closer to Shepard accepting the friendly gesture."Before they cut the feeds...there were so many dead."

"I'm going to stop the reapers or die trying, but I need your help.", Shepard lifted her hand off the reporters shoulder." Keep asking the hard questions. Don't let the council forget earth."

Khalisah looked relieved,"I will. Thank you, Commander." Before walking away, she turned facing Shepard again."I'm glad you're on our side."

Khalisah and her annoying camera left.

Shepard left the embassy for the hospital. On the way down from the elevator, she received a com from Garrus.

"Hey Shepard. When you're done in the hospital. I need you to come by the Normandy. And tell Thane, he's one hell of a hero."

The comms closed with Shepard still wondering where the hell Satima had run off to? Most likely Garrus's call was for that. A strange feeling of regret crept up on her. She shook it off to nerves about Thane.

_ "I hope you make it old friend.", she whispered a silent prayer._

* * *

_Whew! Sorry for the long chapter, had to include after events. Will not always be this way in future chapters, promise. More Directive to come. Thanks to all who read and view. ;)_


End file.
